In the Florida Keys, the arrival of a new baby can involve unexpected logistical issues.
Let’s say a family has prepared for their baby’s arrival and ordered a car seat online. Then the baby arrives early and is ready to leave the hospital — but the car seat is still in transit, and the newborn can’t be sent home without one.
Enter the Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition, which gets the call whenever a new baby needs a safe car seat for their first ride home.
Through its Keys to Kids Safety program, the coalition can help make sure the family has an appropriate car seat and knows how to install and use it safely.
For another family, the need may come months or years later, when their child has outgrown an infant seat and needs a larger one, but finances are tight. The family contributes what they can — perhaps $40 — toward the new seat, and the coalition helps with the rest, allowing limited household resources to remain available for rent, groceries, utilities, diapers and other necessities.
“We never want a parent to have to choose between purchasing the right car seat or safe sleep space for their child and paying their rent, electric bill or buying groceries,” said Arianna Nesbitt, CEO of the Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition. “Safety shouldn’t depend on a family’s income or whether they can get to a store on the mainland. Our job is not only to help families access the equipment they need, but to give parents the knowledge and confidence to use it correctly. When we do that, we keep children safer, reduce stress for families and help parents stretch their limited resources.”
The coalition’s Keys to Kids Safety program provides child passenger safety education, car seat inspections and installations, access to low-cost car seats, bicycle helmet fittings, safe sleep education and equipment and home safety education. Last fiscal year alone, the coalition properly installed, inspected and provided more than 200 car seats throughout the Florida Keys.
But sometimes a family already has all the equipment they need, but lacks the confidence and knowledge to use it properly
One first-time family had purchased a car seat and prepared extensively for their baby’s arrival. But when it was time to place their newborn into the seat and drive home, they weren’t confident they were doing it correctly. So they called the coalition.
A trained team member met with the family, checked the installation and positioning and taught the parents how to safely secure their newborn.
Throughout September, community members and businesses can support the coalition’s Be a Safety Hero campaign by making a financial donation.
Scan the QR code or contact the Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition at 305-293-8424 or info@keyshealthystart.org.
