Child Passenger Safety in Nova Scotia

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Child Passenger Safety in Nova Scotia

• Kim Mundle
• Child Safety Link
• IWK Health Centre

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Child Safety Link

• The injury prevention program of the IWK Health
  Centre, the childrens hospital serving New
  Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
• Child Passenger Safety leading focus
• Provincial Coordinator of the Nova Scotia Child
  Safety Seat Strategy

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Child Safety Seat Strategy

• Funding for Nova Scotia from October 2005
• NS Department of Health Promotion and Protection
• NS Department of Transportation and
  Infrastructure Renewal
• 1 full-time staff assistance of other staff

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Nova Scotia History

• Car Seat advocates offering clinics since 1980s
• Nova Scotia Safety Council
• Training from ITSA in 1990s
• Cooperators Buckle Up Bears in 5 towns
• St. John Ambulance 2003
• Child Safety Link 2005

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Currently

• St. John Ambulanceno Car Seat Safety
  CoordinatorCRST books only
• 20 Courses taught in 15 communities since 2005
• Approximately 200 technicians, not all active
• 8 instructors, 6 more interested
• 1 instructor trainer, not active

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Public Health

• Active role
• Technicians in every health district
• Gradually developing coalitions, offering clinics
• Individual education to clients
• Inclusion of messages in prenatal classes
• Distribute booklet A Parents Guide to Car Seats

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Buckle Up Bears

• Clinics in Yarmouth every few months
• Collaborate with police, health, car dealerships
• New Cooperators office in Cole Harbour
• (suburb of Halifax/Dartmouth)1st clinic May 09
• Antigonish office no longer conducting clinics

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Passionate individuals

• Success is dependent on key individuals in Truro,
  New Glasgow, Bridgewater, Halifax
• Often as volunteers or as an addition to their
  jobs
• Presentations to prenatal classes, booths at
  health fairs, distributing postcards and booklets
• Babies to Boosters Booster Passport project

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January 2007

• Legislation updated to include booster seats and
  rear-facing to one year and 10 kg
• Promotion throughout 2006
• Television advertising
• Postcards
• Toll-free line
• Website
• Education sessions for police, wallet card

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Other resources

• A Parents Guide to Car Seats given after every
  birth and available through Public Health
• Growth chart
• Promotion of Kids that Clickhard copy and
  online
• Toll free line continues
• Appointments at the hospital

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Technician Network

• Keep in touch by email and newsletters
• Provide telephone support
• I supervise clinics when they need it.
• Need to improve connections between techs in
  local communities so that they can work together.

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Challenges to increasing correct use

• Cannot provide an appointment to everyone
• Clinics are attracting the middle income, better
  educated, less needy
• Need to provide tools for most to do it
  themselves
• Messages aimed at the broad population
• Focus individual attention on high risk groups
  (low literacy, ESL, young, other issues)

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Challenges re the technician program

• Need clarification of St. John Ambulances role
  re technician program, certification of
  instructors
• Liability insurance
• Updates, news on car seats
• Local groupsfunds, volunteer maintenance,
  maintaining involvement of professionals

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Contact information

• Kim Mundle
• Car Seat Safety Specialist
• Child Safety Link
• IWK Health Centre
• Halifax, Nova Scotia
• kim.mundle_at_iwk.nshealth.ca
• 1-866-288-1388, ext. 1