First 5 Riverside County Partners with Riverside University Health System and Baby2baby to Provide Over 300 Car Seats to Families

First 5 Riverside County (F5RC) and Riverside University Health System (RUHS) – Public Health teamed up to address car safety this holiday season as they distributed 360 car seats to over 200 low-income families throughout November.

The seats were provided by Baby2Baby, a national non-profit that received a $1 million grant from the California Department of Public Health to purchase and distribute convertible car seats to agencies that work with families with young children.

“One of the leading factors in infant mortality is vehicular accidents, so we’re here to provide car seats to families to reduce risk and build awareness,” said F5RC Deputy Director Ricardo Quezada.

Families registered with F5RC or RUHS to pick up the free car seats at drive-thru events held at Riverside County’s Family Resource Centers (FRCs). The FRCs are located in Desert Hot Springs, Mead Valley, Mecca, and Jurupa Valley. F5RC also provided an allotment of car seats to Temecula WIC.

The partnership between F5RC and RUHS ensured opportunities for families to receive training, both virtual and in-person, on how to safely install the seats. RUHS – Public Health’s Injury Prevention Services also provided booster seats to families with older children who have outgrown size requirements for a car seat but still need additional support to ride safely in cars. RUHS is hosting follow-up installation workshops after the events to ensure continued education is available to families.

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, “California law requires all children under two years old to ride in a rear-facing car seat, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. Children under the age of 8 are required to be secured in a car or booster seat. Children who are 8 years old OR at least 4’9” may be secured by a booster seat, but at minimum wear a seat belt.”

Infants and children are the most vulnerable in car accidents if they are not buckled in correctly or worse, are not placed in a car seat at all. No matter how strong a parent holds on to their child while in a moving vehicle, the impact of an accident or abrupt stop will yank them away from their hold, even while the car travels at a low speed. The most effective way to reduce injury is to properly secure children in a car seat.

“Every family wants to keep their children safe, and providing car seats is one way First 5 can help. Over two hundred Riverside County families are now better informed and equipped to transport their children whether it’s to school, to run errands, or to visit loved ones near and far over the holidays,” said Tammi Graham, F5RC Executive Director.

For eligible families who were not able to receive seats at the events, RUHS provides training and car seats at a reduced cost. Families may contact (800) 455-4942 to enroll.

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About First 5 Riverside County  

First 5 Riverside County, the Riverside County Children & Families Commission, is funded by Proposition 10 tobacco tax revenues. First 5 Riverside County supports early childhood development through educational outreach, partnerships and funding for services that benefit children, from prenatal through age 5, their families, and communities. For more information about First 5 Riverside County programs and other funded services, call 800-266-3880 or visit www.First5Riverside.org.

About Riverside University Health System  

The 439-bed Riverside University Health System (RUHS) Medical Center in Moreno Valley, Calif., is a teaching hospital and research hub with a Level I Trauma Center and the only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Riverside County. RUHS includes 14 Community Health Centers across Riverside County, the Public Health Department, and Behavioral Health, which provides emergency and inpatient psychiatric care. Visit ruhealth.org to learn more.