SMH gives out first car seat as Car Seat Distribution Center

Photo:

Nolan Hafner

NORWAY — Nolan Hafner, age four, is delighted that his seat is properly installed after attending the Stephens Memorial Hospital (SMH)/Buckle up Maine car seat safety check event at the Norway fire station on Saturday, February 5. Nolan and his mom realize that the majority of car seats are improperly installed in vehicles even though the child may be properly buckled into the seat.

Nolan is anxiously awaiting the arrival of a sister, who will ride next to him, rear-facing in her new car seat, provided to her family as part of the newly implemented distribution program through the Family Birthplace at SMH and the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety. Families who qualify for the WIC (Women Infants and Children) program, or fall in a certain income range, may qualify for a free car seat.

Carol Welsh, RN, Perinatal Educator for The Family Birthplace at SMH, shares “Our first official event was a success; while our numbers were small, we made changes to all seats that were seen and all were safer when they left, than when they arrived.”

To participate in this free inspection, parents and caregivers simply need to bring their vehicles, child safety seat and children to the site. There is no appointment necessary. The next car seat inspection event is scheduled for Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. at the Norway fire station.

Inspections may also be done by appointment by calling the Family Birthplace at SMH, at 743-1562 x380.

Stephens Memorial Hospital is a Child Passenger Safety Seat distribution center as well as an inspection site. Inspection sites are part of a statewide child passenger safety project and local fitting stations can be found on the Buckle Up Maine website at www.buckleupmaine.org.

Stephens Memorial Hospital is part of Western Maine Health and MaineHealth.