WA CPS Update

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WA CPS Update

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WA CPS Update

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WA CPS Update

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WA CPS Update

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WA CPS Update

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WA CPS Update, August 2023

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WA CPS Update, July 2023

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WA CPS Update

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WASHINGTON CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY NETWORK

Attached is a recently updated map of the network of Target Zero Managers, Safe Kids Coordinators, and Child Passenger Safety local leads. Please review and let me know of any updates or corrections.

 

LIFESAVERS TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENTS

If you were approved for reimbursement of registration and travel expenses for attending Lifesavers 2023 in Seattle, be sure to submit your travel expense report and back up documents to me by June 30, 2023.

 

MINI-GRANTS

REMINDER to all current mini-grant recipients – invoices for goods received or services performed on or prior to June 30th, must be received by Cesi Velez, Project Manager, by July 10th to qualify for reimbursement.

 

Interested in applying for a mini-grant for fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 – September 2024)? Watch for an announcement in August. The grants are available to start/support local car seat activities or to hold a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) course. The  local grants can include bringing in a CPST Instructor or Technician Proxy to provide CEU workshops and/or seat sign-offs.

 

NATIONAL DIGITAL CHECK FORM (NDCF)

A very important and mandatory step with using the NDCF is making sure seat check data is uploaded to the program on a regular basis. The program is designed to be used in airplane mode at a seat check; then when wi-fi is accessible; upload to the system. Whether you are using a hard copy or an electric form – input or upload this data in a timely manner. Your local CPS lead will not be able to view your checks in the quarterly raw data file if they are not in the program. I will not be able to view your activity in the statewide report. For this reason, please follow the following schedule.

 

NDCF CHECKS DUE DATE
October, November, December January 10th
January, February, March April 10th
April, May, June July 10th
July, August, September October 10th

 

EVERY child passenger safety technician in Washington State should have an NDCF account. This system will have confirmation of your seat checks used for recertification sign-offs. Visit https://carseatcheckform.org/ and go to Guide to Creating an Account.

 

LOOKING FOR STATE CPS DATA?

You don’t have to look far. Visit https://wacarseats.com/car-seat-data/ and you will be able to view raw data collected from the NDCF program. In addition, we have recently added County and seat distribution. As we collect more seat check data for Washington State, more will be added to this site. Although we currently have limited data available, as we continue to use the NDCF program – the more data we will collect and share.

 

Also available are the WTSC data dashboards.

 

Statewide CPS observational and intercept surveys are currently being conducted which will provide us with use data and caregiver knowledge.

 

CURRENT RECALL LIST

Ensure the most recent recall list is used at your car seat checks. The latest version is dated 5/26/23 and available at Car Seat Recalls/Defects & Safety Notices – Safe Ride News.

Vehicle recalls are important to address as well. For instance, Lincoln has issued a new recall for 142,734 model year 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC vehicles due to a risk of fire. Owners should park their vehicles outside and away from structures and other vehicles until the recall has been remedied. Educate the caregivers by providing the Check to Protect educational handout.

 

ADDRESSING EXPIRATION DATES ON CHILD RESTRAINTS

Many of us have likely answered the question “why do car seats expire?” It is not because the child restraint manufacturer wants to ensure future purchases to replace expired seats. Here is a great explanation to share from Juvenile Products Manufacturer’s Association (JPMA). Useful Life of Car Seats – Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (jpma.org)

 

WASHINGTON SAFETY SUMMIT

Mark your calendars for March 19th and 20th, 2024. The 19th will be a full day of technical, enrichment and networking activities for CPST Instructors; the following day on the 20th will be for all Washington State technicians. The WA CPS Program will assist with travel expenses (more info to follow!). This will be an in-person conference to encourage attendance. Plan ahead so you can attend.

 

Please let me know how I can better support your efforts to provide child passenger safety education and services.

WA CPS Program Update, Feb 2023

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Here we are…already more than half way through February! I hope this message finds you healthy, happy and safe in all respects.

LIFESAVERS 2023

Excitement is increasing with Washington State hosting the Lifesavers 2023 conference on April 2-4. Thank you to those who have applied for registration and travel reimbursement to attend. I am excited to see everyone in person. To provide a one-stop, all-encompassing information platform for the 2023 Lifesavers Conference, a new EVENT SITE has been created. This event site features workshops details, plenary information, exhibitors, sponsors, networking information and more! Please check out the site for updates.

SERVICE PROVIDERS

Many of you have mini-grants which includes fees for CPST-Instructors who provide seat sign-offs, present CEU workshops, or teach CPST courses. Please remember; there is a Mini-Grants webinar located at https://wacarseats.com/mini-grants/ to help you through the reimbursement process. If you are a service provider and need to bill for services; there is important information to watch starting at 15:09 of the recording that will assist you in completing your invoice and travel expense voucher. Speaking of which…the reimbursement for privately owned vehicle (POV) miles has been increased from $.625 to $.655 effective 1/1/2023. Attached is an updated per diem map.

RECERTIFICATION

It is extremely important to work on your recertification requirements within your two year cycle. Do not wait until the last days; or even weeks. Safe Kids Worldwide sends email reminders months ahead to remind you of your upcoming need to recertify. It is important to check your online profile to ensure your current email is entered. You must complete the following to recertify:

 

NOTE: A mini-grant may include service fees to bring a CPST-Instructor or a Tech-proxy to your community to provide a CEU workshop as well as seat sign-offs.

CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY LEARNING PORTAL

For a one-stop shop for CEU’s and Community Education sessions, visit https://carseateducation.org/. You will be amazed by all of the resources with access in one place.

FOSTER FAMILIES

Foster families play an important role in the lives of children. A foster parent provides a child a safe, loving, temporary home; maybe making it possible for them to stay in their school, and stay connected to their parents and siblings. While conducting research on what education or resources are provided to potential foster parents, I was pleased to find free educational resources which include child passenger safety. They simply need to email AllianceSupport@uw.edu to get connected or visit https://cpe.socialwork.uw.edu/alliance-courses and follow the instructions to create a new account. I personally  attended their online Car Seat Safety: Select, Fit and Install Correctly elearning; and aside from a couple minor corrections – it is a good product for foster families. This training is strongly encouraged for all potential foster families.

CHECK TO PROTECT

It is important to always check for recalls on child restraints. It is also important to check and fix any recalls on your vehicle, like the takata airbag safety recall. There is an educational handout available through the state printer to use at every car seat check. It provides the caregiver an opportunity to access vehicle recall information. Order some from the state printing website (along with other educational materials).

MORE EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL

A poster has recently been added to the www.wacarseats.com site under Resources, Posters and Graphics. It is the summary of Washington’s Child Restraint Law in Vietnamese. If there is a target audience you need to reach in another language, let me know.

There are child passenger safety booklets you can purchase at I’M SAFE. Here is the English/Spanish version https://www.imsafe.com/product/2-6000-visual-car-seat-guide-parents-bilingual-edition  They are also now available in Pashto, Dari, Ukraine and soon to be in French and Russian. These booklets were extremely helpful in our refugee outreach activities. Let me know if you are planning an outreach event and could use some of these materials.

The calendar of CPST courses is here. There are some added courses and some that are waiting to confirm dates. Let me know if you have any questions.