California Kids' Plates Program

​The California legislature passed a bill in 1992 (Chapter 1316, Statutes of 1992) for the sale of Kids' Plates specialized vehicle license plates and the creation of the Child Health and Safety Fund (CHSF) (#0279), currently administered by the California Department of Social Services. Revenue from the sale and renewal of Kids' Plates, which contain an embossed heart, hand, star, or plus sign, goes into the CHSF and is used to support three significant child health and safety issues in California: 1) unintentional childhood injuries; 2) child abuse; and 3) childcare licensing and inspection.

2018-2020 Awards

In December 2017, SACB released a Request for Applications (RFA) under the Kids' Plates Program to support the enhancement of existing local childhood unintentional injury prevention coalitions to address at least three injury areas.

The list of criteria considered by CDPH in program planning for this funding cycle included:

1. data analysis to describe and compare the burden of injury (e.g. number of deaths, the rate and severity of injuries, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits);
   

2. the amount of available funding;

3. the potential reach and impact of interventions;

4. input from childhood injury prevention experts;

5. the ability of CDPH to combine and/or leverage Program resources with other state and/or local efforts to prevent childhood injury;

6. the ability of applicants to deliver interventions in a cost-effective manner;

7. the ability of applicants to measure and achieve outcomes of interventions in the required timeframe;

8. sustainability of interventions over time; and

9. operative guidance documents (e.g., relevant strategic plans, the public contract code, and the State Contract Manual). 

Six coalitions were awarded funding based on their ability to successfully address several core program elements to better resolve the injury topics most relevant to their community. The core elements included:

1. The use of data to identify local unintentional injury priorities;

2. Implementing interventions in policy, program, and/or education;

3. The use of evidence-based interventions; and
   

4. Training and education programs that may include the distribution of safety equipment.

Please refer to the list of 2018-2020 awardees (PDF).  The six awarded childhood unintentional injury prevention coalition contractors and these areas of injury focus for the period April 1, 2018 – December 31, 2020 are:

2017 Awards

In February 2017, child safety equipment awards were made through a Request for Applications (RFA) released in September 2016. 

The list of criteria considered by CDPH in program planning for this funding cycle included:

1. data analysis to describe and compare the burden of injury (e.g. number of deaths, the rate and severity of injuries, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits);

2. the amount of available funding;
   

3. the potential reach and impact of interventions;
   

4. input from childhood injury prevention experts;

5. the ability of CDPH to combine and/or leverage Program resources with other state and/or local efforts to prevent childhood injury;

6. the ability of applicants to deliver interventions in a cost-effective manner;

7. the ability of applicants to measure and achieve outcomes of interventions in the required timeframe;

8. sustainability of interventions over time; and

9. operative guidance documents (e.g., relevant strategic plans, the public contract code, and the State Contract Manual).

 The goal of this RFA was to accomplish the following:

• Promote the proper use of child passenger safety seats and support the new California law requiring children to be secured in rear-facing car seats until the age of two;

• Promote helmet use during such activities as bicycling or skateboarding;

• Promote life vest use and water safety;
  

• Promote proper smoke alarm use;

• Disseminate these safety equipment items at no-cost for the benefit of California children up to age 18 from low income families.

The Kids' Plates Program awarded child safety equipment to 174 local non-profit organizations throughout California. Kids' Plates distributed 2,760 child safety seats, 10,824 multi-sport helmets, 54,928 life vests, and 6,264 smoke alarms.  A list of awardees is available (PDF).

2016 Awards

In August 2016, child safety equipment awards were made through a Request for Applications (RFA) released in February 2016. 

The list of criteria considered by CDPH in program planning for this funding cycle included:

1. data analysis to describe and compare the burden of injury (e.g. number of deaths, the rate and severity of injuries, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits);

2. the amount of available funding;

3. the potential reach and impact of interventions;
   

4. input from childhood injury prevention experts;

5. the ability of CDPH to combine and/or leverage Program resources with other state and/or local efforts to prevent childhood injury;

6. the ability of applicants to deliver interventions in a cost-effective manner;

7. the ability of applicants to measure and achieve outcomes of interventions in the required timeframe;

8. sustainability of interventions over time; and

9. operative guidance documents (e.g., relevant strategic plans, the public contract code, and the State Contract Manual).

 The goal of this RFA was to accomplish the following:

• Promote the proper use of child passenger safety seats and support the new California law requiring children to be secured in rear-facing car seats until the age of two;

• Promote helmet use during such activities as bicycling or skateboarding;

• Promote life vest use and water safety;

• Promote proper smoke alarm use;

• Disseminate these safety equipment items at no-cost for the benefit of California children up to age 18 from low income families.
  

The Kids' Plates Program awarded child safety equipment to 145 local non-profit organizations throughout California. Kids' Plates distributed 1,496 child safety seats, 12,936 multi-sport helmets, 5,654 life vests, and 6,846 smoke alarms.  A list of awardees is available (PDF). 

For additional information, please contact IVPB at ivpb@cdph.ca.gov

Have A Heart, Be A Star, Help Our KIDS – Order a Kids’ Plates license plate!