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In 1988, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign was founded by the
Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The Campaign
initially selected ten target cities to develop coalitions with Atlanta
being one of the ten cities. Georgia was the only state coalition at that
time. SAFE KIDS of Georgia had its inaugural meeting in May of 1988.
Governor Joe Frank Harris proclaimed May 16-22 as SAFE KIDS Week
in Georgia. The program committee structure was formed consisting of
49 organizations and agencies with one common bond--preventing
childhood injuries. The program committee continues to meet once a
month and now represents over 80 organizations.
Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The Campaign
initially selected ten target cities to develop coalitions with Atlanta
being one of the ten cities. Georgia was the only state coalition at that
time. SAFE KIDS of Georgia had its inaugural meeting in May of 1988.
Governor Joe Frank Harris proclaimed May 16-22 as SAFE KIDS Week
in Georgia. The program committee structure was formed consisting of
49 organizations and agencies with one common bond--preventing
childhood injuries. The program committee continues to meet once a
month and now represents over 80 organizations.
The initial lead agencies were the Governor's Commission on Children and Youth and the
Council for Children. In 1990, SAFE KIDS of Georgia became incorporated and elected its board
of directors. Also in 1990, Egleston Children's Hospital became the lead agency for SAFE KIDS
of Georgia.
Original financial sponsors of SAFE KIDS of Georgia were The Kroger Company and Egleston
Children's Hospital, with a total first year budget of $13,000. Today, Egleston supports SAFE
KIDS of Georgia with an Executive Director, Associate Director and an operating budget of
$60,000. Additionally, Egleston provides injury prevention literature as well as other resources to
SAFE KIDS of Georgia Coalition members at no cost.
SAFE KIDS of Georgia began with coalitions in DeKalb, Gwinnett, Dalton, Augusta, Savannah,
and Brunswick and has grown to 47 coalitions as of January 1999. In 1989, SAFE KIDS of
Georgia received the National SAFE KIDS Campaign "Best Coalition Award" and more recently
was recognized as a model prototype for future state-wide coalitions.
In 1996, SAFE KIDS of Georgia gained international recognition from the World Health
Organization as the first Cooperating Helmet Initiative Program in the United States. SAFE KIDS
of Georgia joins the Childhood Injury Prevention Service of England's Royal Berkshire Hospital
and the Helmet Initiative Program of Sweden as model programs of excellence seeking to
prevent brain injury by promoting bicycle helmet usage. A key factor in this recognition is SAFE
KIDS of Georgia's instrumental role in passing Georgia's bicycle helmet law in 1993, the most
comprehensive law in the country at the time. Since the passage of this legislation, SAFE KIDS of
Georgia has distributed over 10,000 helmets to underserved children.
SAFE KIDS of Georgia has proven it takes a willing attitude and winning spirit to make a program
grow strong enough to reach its goals.
What is a SAFE KIDS Coalition?
Coalitions have been defined as "a union of people and organizations working to influence
outcomes on a specific problem." SAFE KIDS coalitions exemplify this definition.
The specific problem SAFE KIDS focuses on is unintentional childhood injury. The union of
people and organizations range from health departments, law enforcement, nurses, doctors,
teachers, principals, fire fighters, EMTs, business leaders, politicians to other community
members concerned about the safety of children.
A coalition is a way for each group to bring their strengths together to form a unified and more
powerful group to spread the injury prevention message. Being a part of SAFE KIDS benefits
each member of the group by making more resources available to everyone.
Coalitions also offer public awareness for each group involved. Since SAFE KIDS is a
partnership, all groups involved receive recognition for involvement.
What Does a SAFE KIDS of Georgia Coalition DO?
Preventable injuries are the #1 killer of children under the age of 14; claiming more lives than all
childhood diseases combined. Each year 6,300 children are killed and 120,000 are permanently
disabled from an injury that could have been prevented. The goal of SAFE KIDS is to reduce
these numbers through local grassroots coalitions.
The focus of SAFE KIDS of Georgia is the top five preventable killers of children under the age
of 14:
Motor Vehicle Safety (including bicycle and pedestrian safety)
Drowning
Fire/Burns
Poisoning/Choking
Falls
The goal of a coalition is to teach parents and children about child safety. Local coalitions
implement safety programs (examples below), teach safety to school children, teach safety to
parent groups, and distribute child safety equipment to families in need.
In addition to local coalition efforts, the state office of SAFE KIDS of Georgia creates programs
for local coalitions. However, these programs are not mandatory. We hope to offer many
programs for coalitions to choose from.
Below are samples of the most popular state and local programs.
Examples of local coalition events:
Bike Rodeos - A fun way to teach children how to maintain their bicycle, how to wear a helmet,
the importance of wearing a helmet and the rules of the road. Safety information learned is
reinforced as children travel through an obstacle course. Many coalitions are able to provide
helmets for children in need through fund raising or grants.
Safety Fairs - A safety fair can reach both parents and children with safety information. Health
and safety groups from the community come together in one location to share handouts, play
safety games, fingerprinting children, teach the importance of child safety seats and helmets,
tour an ambulance or fire truck, and much more.
Roadblocks - A partnership between the coalition and local police, sheriff's or state patrol office
can create a roadblock. Law enforcement officers set up the roadblock in a safe location and
check for license and registration. If there is a child traveling in a child safety seat or needs to be
in a child safety seat, the driver is pulled over to a safe location where trained SAFE KIDS
volunteers check to make sure the child is restrained properly. Teddy bears or other giveaway
items are given to children properly buckled in. Many coalitions are able to provide child safety
seats for families in need from grants and fund raising.
Examples of state programs are:
Holiday Teddy Bear Roadblocks - "Mini-grants" are offered to coalitions to hold roadblocks
between Thanksgiving and January 1. The state office coordinates with the Division of Public
Health, Governor's Office of Highway Safety, and the UGA Cooperative Extension Service
Occupant Safety Program to provide coalitions teddy bears, educational materials, and child
safety seats to be distributed at roadblocks. The state office also provides "fill in the blank" press
releases to gain local media coverage. To participate, coalitions must agree to complete an
observation form outlining child safety seat and safety belt usage and to complete an evaluation
form. (Both forms are provided to the coalition).
Kroger Celebrity Bagging Day - The only statewide fund raiser each year, Kroger Celebrity
Bagging Day combines a great day of fun, educating, and fund raising. Coalitions hold safety
fairs at the store and invite local celebrities to bag groceries for tips; the tips are used by the
coalition to purchase child safety equipment. The state office coordinates with Kroger
headquarters a large donation to be divided evenly among all participating coalitions. (You can
still participate and benefit from this program even if you do not have a Kroger in your area).
Coalitions are provided a "how-to" kit including ideas of celebrities to invite, volunteer sign up
sheets, tips on bagging groceries, press releases, PSA's, and creative ideas to raise more
funds. To participate, coalitions must complete a spending plan, volunteer list and an evaluation
form. (All forms are provided to the coalition).
Matching Program - This program is a partnership between the Georgia Division of Public Health
and SAFE KIDS of Georgia. The Division of Public Health earmarks funds for SAFE KIDS of
Georgia coalitions to match for the purchase of child safety seats. Coalitions are able to match
funds spent within the past year on child safety seats and use funds from their current account
for the purchase of child safety seats. In 1994 and 1995, over 10,000 child safety seats have
been distributed through this program.
For more information on Safe Kids of Floyd County,please contact Andrew Denmon at
706-252-0815.
Council for Children. In 1990, SAFE KIDS of Georgia became incorporated and elected its board
of directors. Also in 1990, Egleston Children's Hospital became the lead agency for SAFE KIDS
of Georgia.
Original financial sponsors of SAFE KIDS of Georgia were The Kroger Company and Egleston
Children's Hospital, with a total first year budget of $13,000. Today, Egleston supports SAFE
KIDS of Georgia with an Executive Director, Associate Director and an operating budget of
$60,000. Additionally, Egleston provides injury prevention literature as well as other resources to
SAFE KIDS of Georgia Coalition members at no cost.
SAFE KIDS of Georgia began with coalitions in DeKalb, Gwinnett, Dalton, Augusta, Savannah,
and Brunswick and has grown to 47 coalitions as of January 1999. In 1989, SAFE KIDS of
Georgia received the National SAFE KIDS Campaign "Best Coalition Award" and more recently
was recognized as a model prototype for future state-wide coalitions.
In 1996, SAFE KIDS of Georgia gained international recognition from the World Health
Organization as the first Cooperating Helmet Initiative Program in the United States. SAFE KIDS
of Georgia joins the Childhood Injury Prevention Service of England's Royal Berkshire Hospital
and the Helmet Initiative Program of Sweden as model programs of excellence seeking to
prevent brain injury by promoting bicycle helmet usage. A key factor in this recognition is SAFE
KIDS of Georgia's instrumental role in passing Georgia's bicycle helmet law in 1993, the most
comprehensive law in the country at the time. Since the passage of this legislation, SAFE KIDS of
Georgia has distributed over 10,000 helmets to underserved children.
SAFE KIDS of Georgia has proven it takes a willing attitude and winning spirit to make a program
grow strong enough to reach its goals.
What is a SAFE KIDS Coalition?
Coalitions have been defined as "a union of people and organizations working to influence
outcomes on a specific problem." SAFE KIDS coalitions exemplify this definition.
The specific problem SAFE KIDS focuses on is unintentional childhood injury. The union of
people and organizations range from health departments, law enforcement, nurses, doctors,
teachers, principals, fire fighters, EMTs, business leaders, politicians to other community
members concerned about the safety of children.
A coalition is a way for each group to bring their strengths together to form a unified and more
powerful group to spread the injury prevention message. Being a part of SAFE KIDS benefits
each member of the group by making more resources available to everyone.
Coalitions also offer public awareness for each group involved. Since SAFE KIDS is a
partnership, all groups involved receive recognition for involvement.
What Does a SAFE KIDS of Georgia Coalition DO?
Preventable injuries are the #1 killer of children under the age of 14; claiming more lives than all
childhood diseases combined. Each year 6,300 children are killed and 120,000 are permanently
disabled from an injury that could have been prevented. The goal of SAFE KIDS is to reduce
these numbers through local grassroots coalitions.
The focus of SAFE KIDS of Georgia is the top five preventable killers of children under the age
of 14:
Motor Vehicle Safety (including bicycle and pedestrian safety)
Drowning
Fire/Burns
Poisoning/Choking
Falls
The goal of a coalition is to teach parents and children about child safety. Local coalitions
implement safety programs (examples below), teach safety to school children, teach safety to
parent groups, and distribute child safety equipment to families in need.
In addition to local coalition efforts, the state office of SAFE KIDS of Georgia creates programs
for local coalitions. However, these programs are not mandatory. We hope to offer many
programs for coalitions to choose from.
Below are samples of the most popular state and local programs.
Examples of local coalition events:
Bike Rodeos - A fun way to teach children how to maintain their bicycle, how to wear a helmet,
the importance of wearing a helmet and the rules of the road. Safety information learned is
reinforced as children travel through an obstacle course. Many coalitions are able to provide
helmets for children in need through fund raising or grants.
Safety Fairs - A safety fair can reach both parents and children with safety information. Health
and safety groups from the community come together in one location to share handouts, play
safety games, fingerprinting children, teach the importance of child safety seats and helmets,
tour an ambulance or fire truck, and much more.
Roadblocks - A partnership between the coalition and local police, sheriff's or state patrol office
can create a roadblock. Law enforcement officers set up the roadblock in a safe location and
check for license and registration. If there is a child traveling in a child safety seat or needs to be
in a child safety seat, the driver is pulled over to a safe location where trained SAFE KIDS
volunteers check to make sure the child is restrained properly. Teddy bears or other giveaway
items are given to children properly buckled in. Many coalitions are able to provide child safety
seats for families in need from grants and fund raising.
Examples of state programs are:
Holiday Teddy Bear Roadblocks - "Mini-grants" are offered to coalitions to hold roadblocks
between Thanksgiving and January 1. The state office coordinates with the Division of Public
Health, Governor's Office of Highway Safety, and the UGA Cooperative Extension Service
Occupant Safety Program to provide coalitions teddy bears, educational materials, and child
safety seats to be distributed at roadblocks. The state office also provides "fill in the blank" press
releases to gain local media coverage. To participate, coalitions must agree to complete an
observation form outlining child safety seat and safety belt usage and to complete an evaluation
form. (Both forms are provided to the coalition).
Kroger Celebrity Bagging Day - The only statewide fund raiser each year, Kroger Celebrity
Bagging Day combines a great day of fun, educating, and fund raising. Coalitions hold safety
fairs at the store and invite local celebrities to bag groceries for tips; the tips are used by the
coalition to purchase child safety equipment. The state office coordinates with Kroger
headquarters a large donation to be divided evenly among all participating coalitions. (You can
still participate and benefit from this program even if you do not have a Kroger in your area).
Coalitions are provided a "how-to" kit including ideas of celebrities to invite, volunteer sign up
sheets, tips on bagging groceries, press releases, PSA's, and creative ideas to raise more
funds. To participate, coalitions must complete a spending plan, volunteer list and an evaluation
form. (All forms are provided to the coalition).
Matching Program - This program is a partnership between the Georgia Division of Public Health
and SAFE KIDS of Georgia. The Division of Public Health earmarks funds for SAFE KIDS of
Georgia coalitions to match for the purchase of child safety seats. Coalitions are able to match
funds spent within the past year on child safety seats and use funds from their current account
for the purchase of child safety seats. In 1994 and 1995, over 10,000 child safety seats have
been distributed through this program.
For more information on Safe Kids of Floyd County,please contact Andrew Denmon at
706-252-0815.