Safe Kids USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Safe Kids USA is the United States' arm of the global network of Safe Kids Worldwide organizations, based in Washington DC.[1] Safe Kids USA has over 300 chapters and coalitions in all 50 states, The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico,[2] and has positioned itself as an authority on unintentional childhood injury statistics and prevention.[3][4] The mission of Safe Kids USA, the same as that of Safe Kids Worldwide, is "to prevent accidental childhood injury."[5]

Contents

[edit] Programs

Safe Kids USA achieves this goal through a number of accident-specific prevention and awareness-promoting programs. Some of these programs include:

  • Safe Kids At Home: Partners with the Center for Disease Control to prevent child injury at home, especially in low-income and immigrant groups.[6]
  • Safe Kids Buckle Up: Partners with corporate sponsor General Motors and Chevrolet to promote vehicle safety for children. This program is the largest of Safe Kids USA's safety programs.[7] In 2007 the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) announced that Safe Kids Buckle Up would be the national client for the 2008 Bateman case study competition. Student teams from PRSSA chapters across the U.S. will research, plan and implement campaigns in their local areas to reiterate safety in and around cars to "tweens" ages 11-14 and their families. [8]
  • Safe Kids Fire: Partners with First Alert and the United States Fire Administration to help prevent fires and accidents having to do with fires, especially around the home. [9]
  • Safe Kids Ready to Roll: Partners with Bell Sports to keep children safe around bicycles, skates, and other wheel-related injuries.[10]
  • Safe Kids Walk This Way: Partners with FedEx to promote pedestrian safety.[11]

[edit] Local coalitions

Safe Kids programs rely on a grassroots effort by local chapters and coalitions to create action plans that will reach the needs of the community most effectively. Coalitions are formally supported by the Safe Kids USA campaign and are compromised by leaders in the community which can include, among other areas, members of the public health, education, media and public safety sectors.[12]

[edit] Safe Kids Athens Area

Safe Kids Athens Area is a coalition of Safe Kids Georgia, founded in 1993. Safe Kids Athens Area recently obtained coalition status, putting it formally under the worldwide organization of Safe Kids Worldwide and giving it the ability to utilize the resources of the worldwide and national organization, Safe Kids USA.

The coalition was originally established as Safe Kids of Georgia in Clarke County, but later changed to Safe Kids Athens Area. The coalition primarily serves Athens and the immediately surrounding counties, but also included all 17 counties correlating with the service area of Athens Regional Medical Center, the lead agency of the coalition.

Safe Kids Athens is led by a group of volunteers called the Safe Team, under the guidance of Evelyn Hanes, Coalition Coordinator. The Safe Team does the largest amount of work for the Safe Kids Athens Area coalition, including planning, goal-setting and decision-making, and their efforts are supported by a number of volunteers from the community. The Safe Team is composed of leaders of the community, including representatives from the sheriff's department, Clarke County public school system, University of Georgia, Northeast Health District, Athens Regional Medical Center, and AIDs Athens. The Safe Team meets monthly and meets with the entire coalition of volunteers quarterly.

In keeping with the Safe Kids Worldwide mission, the Safe Kids Athens coalition's mission is to, "promote changes in attitudes, behaviors, laws and the environment to prevent accidental injury to children."[2] Safe Kids USA focuses on many different types of injury prevention, promoting community-based groups to target specific areas, including child passenger safety, bike safety, pedestrian safety, water safety, fire and burn safety, and poison safety.

[edit] References

  1. ^ German, Erik. 2007. Back to School: Safety on Road. Newsday, Sept 6, sec. A.
  2. ^ a b History. Safe Kids USA. Retrieved on 2008-10-12.
  3. ^ Theresa Vargas (December 3, 2007). Twins' Family Left in 'an Infinite Well of Sorrow'. Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-10-12.
  4. ^ BRUCE LAMBERT (June 25, 2007). Boy’s Drowning Bolsters a Call for Safer Pools. New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-10-12.
  5. ^ Safe Kids USA: Preventing accidental injury. About Us
  6. ^ Safe Kids USA: Preventing accidental injury. SK At Home
  7. ^ Safe Kids USA: Preventing accidental injury. SK Buckle Up
  8. ^ PRSA Media Room: PRSSA Announces Chevrolet’s Safe Kids Buckle Up Program as the 2008 Bateman Case Study Competition
  9. ^ Safe Kids USA: Preventing accidental injury. SK Fire
  10. ^ Safe Kids USA: Preventing accidental injury. SK Ready to Roll
  11. ^ Safe Kids USA: Preventing accidental injury. SK Walk This Way
  12. ^ Safe Kids USA: Preventing accidental injury. Safe Kids Near You, Who works in a coalition?

[edit] External links