Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Program Support

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Vehicle Occupant Safety Program (VOSP) provides technical assistance, resource guidance and some training on topics related to CPS program development and sustainability:

State CPS Contacts

• California Office of Traffic Safety
• California Department of Public Health
  
• California Highway Patrol
• SAFE KIDS Worldwide
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - Western Region

Funding Resources

• California Office of Traffic Safety
• California Children and Families Commission (Prop 10)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• SAFEKIDS Worldwide
• Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Prevention Foundation
• The California Endowment
• Association of Fundraising Professionals - California Chapters
• CA Wellness Foundation
  

Quarterly E-Newsletters Now Available!​​​

Spring 2022 (PDF)

Summer 2022 (PDF)

Fall 2022 (PDF)

Winter 2022 (PDF)

Spring 2023 (PDF)

Summer 2023 (PDF)

​Winter 2023 (PDF)

Spring 2024 (PDF)​

CPS Conviction Data

VOSP is providing conviction data from DMV on occupant protection related vehicle code violations for you to be able to see the results from your CPS collaborations and outreach activities. The Excel file is the conviction data for the state and by county for several years. To understand more how to use this data, you can review a previous Spring edition of the VOSP eNewsletter. ​

CPS Program Implementation Guides

The California CPS implementation guide “Car Seats Are Kids Stuff!” was originally designed by the State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors’ Association as a tool for persons interested in implementing a child car seat project in their community, city, or state. CDPH adapted this manual in 2002 (and updated it in 2008) to include California-specific material and to update changing issues. This hands-on, how-to manual contains all the materials needed to develop, operate, and evaluate a successful child car seat project. Within this manual, you will find basic background and technical information about car seats, sample project and media materials, step-by-step guidelines for developing an area-specific car seat project, instructions and worksheets for performing simple evaluations, project checklists, car seat recall and manufacturer information, a complete all-you-need-to-know glossary of car seat project terminology, and much more. In short, California’s Car Seats Are Kid Stuff! is a useful resource for both beginning and advanced safety advocates, coordinating projects of all sizes and intensities, and is intended to create community success stories. The goal is that by promoting successful community child car seat projects, we can ultimately protect all children, everywhere, one car seat at a time. 

California state law requires all hospitals, clinics, and birthing centers to provide and discuss information on child passenger restraints before they release children younger than eight years old. Additionally, the law requires, as a condition of licensing, that facilities have a written policy relating to the dissemination of child passenger safety information. In 2002, VOSP developed CPS – The Healthcare Connection (Are you in compliance?) Policies and Procedures Development Guidelines for Hospitals and Clinics. The purpose of these guidelines is to assist health care facilities in developing policy and procedures that will comply with Senate Bill 503 (Chapter 512, Statutes of 1995) requirements. The information and the suggestions in this guide are based on the experiences of facilities within California with well-established child passenger safety programs and advice from experts in child passenger safety. This guide provides step-by-step recommendations for developing policy and procedures for a child passenger safety program. Each step is presented in worksheet format. The worksheets ask questions that, when answered, will provide the information you need to write a policy and procedures for your particular facility. The development of policies and procedures and their implementation are a common practice in health care facilities. Those facilities which have a formal written policy on child passenger safety in place may still find that the general information provided in this guide will help ensure that their existing policies comply with current child passenger restraint laws. This guide is not intended as legal advice. Hospitals, clinics, and birthing centers should consult with their legal counsel regarding their individual rights, responsibilities, and potential for liability under the law.

To obtain a copy of either guides mentioned above, contact SACB at sac@cdph.ca.gov

 National CPS Programs & Resources

• Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• Car-Safety.org
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• KIDS and CARS
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• SAFE KIDS Worldwide
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• Safe Ride News
• SafetyBeltSafe​ U.S.A

Programmatic Webinars

• CPS Behavior Skills Training Research Study, March 19, 2024, Jim DeCarli, PhD​

• Passcode: d!9aR8Z?
  

• CPS with Diverse Audiences, July 19, 2023, Washington State CPS Program (presenters from Lifesavers 2023)

• Passcode: ##xzh+B5
  

For additional information, contact SACB at sac@cdph.ca.gov ​​​​​​