Safe Kids Of Georgia Inc

THE MISSION OF SAFE KIDS OF GEORGIA IS FOR GEORGIA'S CHILDREN 19 YEARS OF AGE AND UNDER TO HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GROW AND PLAY, FREE FROM UNINTENTIONAL INJURIES.

COALITION SUPPORTTHE IMPORTANCE OF METRICS CANNOT BE OVERSTATED. THE USE OF VALID INJURY DATA IS ESSENTIAL IN UNDERSTANDING THE EXTENT OF INJURIES AND DEATHS IN MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS REGARDING PREVENTION PRIORITIES IN A HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENT THAT IMPOSE COMPETING DEMANDS ON RESOURCES. AS PART OF CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA, WE HAVE ACCESS TO LOCAL DATA AND INFORMATION, WHICH CAN INCLUDE HOSPITAL REPORTS WITH EMERGENCY AND INPATIENT DISCHARGE INFORMATION, TRAUMA REGISTRIES, DEATH RECORDS, AND TRANSPORTATIONDDEPARTMENT REPORTS. THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING STATE AND LOCAL DATA BECOMES MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL AFTER CALCULATING THE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY RATES THAT ARE INDIGENOUS TO EACH COUNTY. ADDITIONALLY, SAFE KIDS GEORGIA PROVIDES COALITIONS WITH ANNUAL COMMUNITY NEEDS REPORTS THAT ARE USED TO QUANTIFY CHARACTERISTICS, INJURIES AND RISK FACTORS OF A SPECIFIC POPULATION. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA DETERMINES THE APPROPRIATE COALITION PROGRAMS. THIS HELPS IN MAKING INFORMED, DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE A DETERMINANT IN PRIORITIZING INJURY PREVENTION ACTIVITIES. FOR EXAMPLE, COUNTIES WITH LARGE BODIES OF WATER TYPICALLY PLACE A GREATER EMPHASIS ON DROWNING PREVENTION INITIATIVES. ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAMS VARY ACROSS COALITIONS, SAFE KIDS GEORGIA'S MISSION TO PREVENT UNINTENTIONAL INJURY REMAINS THE SAME. FINALLY, THE OUTCOMES ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN DEVELOPING BOTH SHORT AND LONG TERM STRATEGIC PLANS. DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS AND RESOURCES OF EACH SAFE KIDS GEORGIA COALITION, SAFETY PROGRAMS ARE IDENTIFIED BASED ON THE FOLLOWING SEVEN FOCUS AREAS; VEHICLE AND ROAD, FIRE & BURNS, WATER, BIKE, HOME, SPORTS, AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMSSAFE KIDS GEORGIA ACTIVELY PARTICIPATES IN COMMUNITY EVENTS AND PROGRAMS THAT TARGET UNINTENTIONAL INJURIES AMONG CHILDREN. IN 2019, SAFE KIDS GEORGIA COALITIONS PROVIDED OUTREACH AND EDUCATION IN 81 OF GEORGIA'S 159 COUNITES, REACHING NEARLY 260,000 INDIVIDUALS, DISTRIBUTING NEARLY 18,000 PIECES OF LIFE SAVING SAFETY EQUIPMENT, AND PROVIDING NEARLY 7,800 HOURS OF SAFETY EDUCATION. FIVE OF OUR SEVEN FOCUS AREAS ARE DESCRIBED BELOW.VEHICLE AND ROAD SAFETYCHILD PASSENGER SAFETY (CPS) PROGRAMS ARE A LARGE PART OF WHAT A COALITION PROVIDES WHEN AN AGENCY AGREES TO ADOPT SAFE KIDS AS THEIR INJURY PREVENTION FRAMEWORK. AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF ALL CPS SAFETY INITIATIVES INCLUDE COORDINATOR TRAINING/CERTIFICATION AS A CERTIFIED CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN. COALITIONS ARE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING CPS EDUCATION AND INSTALLATION FOCUSING ON THE PROPER USAGE OF CHILD RESTRAINTS BASED ON A CHILD'S HEIGHT, WEIGHT, AGE, AND MATURITY LEVEL. THEY ACCOMPLISH THIS THROUGH PRODUCING LARGE SCALE CAR SEAT CHECK EVENTS, AND IF AVAILABLE, DISTRIBUTION OF NO-COST CAR SEATS TO REPLACE IMPROPER OR NON-EXISTENT CHILD RESTRAINTS. IN ADDITION TO THE CPS ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED ABOVE, COALITIONS COLLABORATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AS THEY EXECUTE ROAD BLOCK EVENTS. "CLICK IT OR TICKET" INVOLVES LAW ENFORCEMENT COLLABORATION WITH COALITION COORDINATORS TO INSPECT AND REPLACE CAR SEATS AT ROAD BLOCKS. "SPOT THE TOT" IS A PREVENTION ACTIVITY THAT PROVIDES SAFETY AWARENESS IN AND AROUND VEHICLES USING VISUALS AND DEMONSTRATIONS SHOWING HOW EASILY A CHILD CAN GO UNDETECTED WHILE A CAR IS BACKING UP. THE PREVENTION ACTIVITY, "FRONTOVERS AND BACKOVERS", FOCUSES ON DRIVEWAY AND PARKING LOT INJURIES. SKG CONTINUES TO BE AN INSTRUMENTAL PARTNER IN THE "LOOK AGAIN" CAMPAIGN, AN ANNUAL HYPERTHERMIA AWARENESS AND PREVENTION CAMPAIGN THAT EDUCATES THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE DANGERS OF LEAVING CHILDREN IN VEHICLES UNATTENDED. THIS CAMPAIGN WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND NATIONALLY AND THE BRAINCHILD OF FORMER GOVERNOR NATHAN DEAL AND THE FORMER FIRST LADY OF GEORGIA, MRS. SANDRA DEAL. IN 2019, SAFE KIDS GEORGIA COALITIONS CHECKED MORE THAN 6,000 CAR SEATS. SAFE KIDS GEORGIA ALSO PLACES SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON TEEN DRIVER SAFETY. CAR CRASHES KILL MORE YOUNG PEOPLE THAN ANY OTHER INJURY AREA ACCOUNTING FOR NEARLY HALF OF ALL AMERICAN TEEN DEATHS EACH YEAR. RECOGNIZING THE NEED TO PREVENT THESE INJURIES AND DEATHS FROM OCCURRING, SAFE KIDS GEORGIA COLLABORATES IN A STATEWIDE TEEN DRIVER SAFETY INITIATIVE, "TEENS IN THE DRIVER SEAT"(TDS), A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CURRICULUM ORIGINATING FROM THE TEXAS A&M TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE AND FUNDED BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. TDS IS A PEER-BASED PROGRAM THAT ENCOURAGES, EDUCATES AND EMPOWERS TEENS TO BECOME INVOLVED AS ADVOCATES FOR TEEN DRIVING SAFETY IN THEIR LOCAL SCHOOLS. SAFE KIDS GEORGIA SERVES AS THE LOCAL COORDINATOR, ASSISTING WITH PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND EXECUTION WITHIN SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT GEORGIA. DURING THE 2018-19 SCHOOL YEAR, SAFE KIDS GEORGIA SUPPORTED 88 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. ADDITIONALLY, WE RECRUITED AND SUPPORTED 12 TEENS TO SERVE ON THE TDS TEEN ADVISORY BOARD. AS WITH ALL SAFE KIDS GEORGIA INJURY PREVENTION ACTIVITIES, WE UTILIZE DATA TO MEASURE EFFECTIVENESS AND TO DEVELOP THE TDS STRATEGIC PLAN. WORKING WITH THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, SAFE KIDS GEORGIA USES CRASH DATA TO IDENTIFY THE TOP TEN GEORGIA COUNTIES THAT DEMONSTRATED A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RISK OF MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY INJURY RATES AMONG THE AGES OF 15 TO 19 YEARS.HOME SAFETYEACH YEAR, IN THE UNITED STATES, MORE THAN 2,000 CHILDREN DIE FROM AN INJURY THAT OCCURS WITHIN A HOME. UNINTENTIONAL INJURIES THAT OCCUR IN AND AROUND THE HOME CAN INCLUDE BURNS, FALLS, TV TIP-OVERS, DROWNING, POISONINGS (INCLUDING FROM LEAD, CARBON MONOXIDE, HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS, AND PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS), ANIMAL BITES, AND CHOKING/SUFFOCATION AND OTHERS. SAFE KIDS GEORGIA COALITIONS ENGAGE IN A NUMBER OF HOME SAFETY RELATED PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES, WHICH EDUCATE CAREGIVERS ON MAKING THEIR HOMES A SAFER PLACE. PROGRAMS FOCUS ON POISONINGS, FALLS, TV TIP OVERS, CHOKING, AND SAFE SLEEP. IN 2019, SAFE KIDS GEORGIA COALITIONS PROVIDED 1,143 HOME SAFETY EDUCATIONAL ENGAGEMENTS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES, PROVIDING BOTH EDUCATION AND EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION. THE SAFETY ITEMS MOST FREQUENTLY DISTRIBUTED INCLUDED OUTLET COVERS, GUNS LOCKS, HOME SAFETY KITS AND CRIBS/PACK AND PLAYS. WHEELED SPORTS SAFETY MORE CHILDREN AGES 5 TO 14 YEARS ARE SEEN IN EMERGENCY ROOMS FOR INJURIES RELATED TO BIKING THAN IN ANY OTHER SPORT. BIKE SAFETY REQUIRES CONSISTENT AND CORRECT USE OF HELMETS AND COMPLIANCE WITH LEGAL RIDING PRACTICES TO PREVENT COLLISIONS WITH MOTOR VEHICLES, PEDESTRIANS, AND OTHER BICYCLISTS. STATISTICS SHOW THAT WEARING A PROPERLY FITTED HELMET COULD REDUCE THE RISK OF SEVERE BRAIN INJURIES BY 78 PERCENT. GEORGIA LAW REQUIRES CHILDREN AGES 16 AND YOUNGER WEAR A HELMET WHILE RIDING A BICYCLE, ALTHOUGH SADLY THIS IS NOT CONSISTENTLY ENFORCED. SAFE KIDS GEORGIA WHEELED SPORTS SAFETY PROGRAM ENCOMPASS BIKE SAFETY, SKATEBOARDS AND SCOOTERS. PREVENTION PROGRAMMING IN THIS FOCUS AREA CONSISTS OF A SERIES OF INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES THAT TEACH CHILDREN THE PROPER USAGE OF APPROPRIATE HELMETS PER PARTICULAR SPORT, HELMET FITTING DEMONSTRATIONS AND HELMET DISTRIBUTION. ACTIVITIES LIKE BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY PROVIDE IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN HOW TO REMAIN INJURY-FREE AS THEY BIKE TO AND FROM SCHOOL WHILE PROMOTING IT AS A SAFE AND FUN METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION. CHILDREN ARE ALSO TAUGHT WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO WEAR THEIR HELMETS EVERY TIME THEY RIDE THEIR BIKES AND INSTRUCTED ON HOW TO ADJUST THEIR HELMET TO FIT PROPERLY.

SPORTS AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETYUNINTENTIONAL PEDESTRIAN INJURIES ARE THE 5TH LEADING CAUSE OF INJURY-RELATED DEATH FOR CHILDREN AGES 5 TO 19 YEARS OF AGE. PEDESTRIAN SAFETY REQUIRES THAT CHILDREN HAVE SAFE PLACES TO WALK AND PLAY, ARE PROPERLY SUPERVISED WHEN THEY ARE IN THE VICINITY OF TRAFFIC, AND LEARN TO USE CAUTION WHEN CROSSING STREETS. SAFE KIDS GEORGIA COALITIONS PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY (IWTSD), AN ANNUAL EVENT THAT TEACHES SAFE WALKING SKILLS AND ENCOURAGES SAFE WALKING ENVIRONMENTS. THIS CAN TAKE PLACE EITHER IN SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES, WALKING IN AND AROUND SCHOOLS AND BY REACHING OUT TO THE MEDIA. IN 2019, SAFE KIDS GEORGIA COALITIONS OFFERED 508 SPORTS/PEDESTRIAN SAFETY EDUCATIONAL ENGAGEMENTS, DISTRIBUTING IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND PEDESTRIAN REFLECTORS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. COORDINATORS WORKED DILIGENTLY TO PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE THE SAME GOAL OF TEACHING SAFE BEHAVIORS TO BOTH CHILDREN AND MOTORISTS, AN EXAMPLE OF WHICH INCLUDES AN ONGOING PARTNERSHIP WITH SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL. ENSURING THAT CHILDREN LEARN PEDESTRIAN SAFETY SKILLS, SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS COLLABORATES WITH COALITIONS ON SAFE KIDS "WALK THIS WAY' EVENTS. THESE EVENTS RAISE COMMUNITY AND GLOBAL AWARENESS ABOUT WALKING SAFETY AND PROMOTE HEALTHY BEHAVIOR. SCHOOL SAFETY COMMITTEES ARE CREATED WITH COALITIONS, FEDEX VOLUNTEERS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, PARENTS, AND OTHER ADVOCATES TO ENFORCE TRAFFIC LAWS IN SCHOOL ZONES AND MAKE ENVIRONMENTS MORE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY WITH KIDS IN MIND. COALITIONS ALSO CONDUCT TRANSPORTATION SAFETY PROGRAMS AT HEAD START CENTERS TO EDUCATE PARENTS ON CHILD PEDESTRIAN, SCHOOL BUS, AND BIKE AND PASSENGER SAFETY.