After 30 hours of classroom and hands-on skills training, as well as participating in a car seat check event, Doug Metzgar, vice president of Safety For Toddlers, is a certified child passenger/car seat technician.

The certification, established by Safe Kids Worldwide, follows a strict curriculum set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Look for Safety For Toddlers at upcoming car seat check events. We’ll also keep you posted here.

Safe Kids Week 2008 runs from April 28 to May 3. This year’s theme is “Gear Up for Safety.” During the week, the Safe Kids Treasure Valley Coalition is partnering with the Ada Community Library to present displays on child safety and scheduled readings for kids of all ages.

Mon., April 28, 5 a.m.-9 a.m.
We’ll kick off Safe Kids Week at the Ada Community Library with KTVB’s Larry “Where’s Larry” Gebert. Coalition members will be on hand to answer questions about gearing up for safety for activities such as cycling and swimming.

Sat., May 3, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Ada Community Library will host several scheduled readings for kids of all ages. Coalition members will be on hand to answer questions about gearing up for safety, including water sports, wheeled activities, fire safety and more. Download the Gear Up For Safety Flier for more information.

More Information
Ada Community Library
10664 W. Victory Rd.
Boise, ID 83709
Tel.: (208) 362-0181
Google Maps

Visit Ada Community Library, or SafeKids.org for more information.

I often get questions about car seat safety, so I thought I’d share this story with you. In short, Debbie Dubrow, of DeliciousBaby.com, was traveling and rented a baby car seat with her car rental. What she discovered was a very poor selection of baby seats in grim, disgusting, old and useless condition. And the staff was poorly informed –  several car seats had been in various car seat recalls over the last few years. Read her story and learn some good car seat tips along the way.

Boise, ID recently moved up a notch to second-best place in the country for business and careers, according to Forbes magazine That’s great news for working adults, but don’t assume that Idaho’s anywhere near any top-ten list when it comes to being safe for kids. For a state that boasts family values, we have a long way to go. The criteria: laws protecting our children.

Car Seat Safety
The Idaho Legislature finally closed it’s session last week, and House Bill No. 462 never made it out of the Transportation and Security committee. We blogged about it during the course of the bill’s life in committee. In fact, the bill never made it to committee discussion due to internal opposition. Unfortunately, Idaho is one of 12 remaining states in the U.S. that allow kids to be unrestrained in a moving vehicle. (more…)