Oh my- I heard/ seen it all now.... need help!

I really need to know if there is such a thing as a "Car Seat Clinic" ??!! Is it possible to get a CPST to come and give a class on how to correctly install a car seat? I don't necessarily mean a check point but a class?

As some of you know I am a foster parent and today I had my fill about car seats that other foster parents AND social workers are installing.
I have seen a small child rear facing in a GN (the installation was very interesting to say the least), harnesses very, very loose, child only restrained with harness and chest clip- not buckled, seats very loose installed in cars - I could go on and on but today beat them all.... an infant seat only attached with the latch on the tether hook!!!!

I NEED to get a class going- for the safety of these kids!

Those foster parents and social workers DO want to find out how to do it right but have no idea how to

Is there any way that a CPST would do a class on that- just at least to teach the basics on installation and how to put a child in it?

Thanks!

Sure. I've done a few. If you check the c-s.org list of CPSTs, you might find a sympathetic tech in your area who would volunteer his/her time

I certainly would (although I'm nowhere near you). I think most of us would. Ask here, or contact your local SafeKids.

Thanks guys! I will have to find someone local to do this for us. I just had no idea if CPST would do a class like that. Hey, I am even willing to pay a reasonable fee for someone to come and teach.

~on my way to search for a tech

I would. Where are you in LA?

Just realized where you are at, and that's a bit far for me. I know there is a tech up there that was one of my instructors.

Our local safe kids does a class for our local dfs office, but honestly it doesn't do much good at all. They went through and tossed all the old seats, wrecked seats, seats where there were no harnesses (never mind they were infant seats) I was there when it happened and the agency replaced the seats. What happened? The case workers decided to disregard what the instructor told them and went back to the old way. Even purchasing seats at garage sale because "the new seats weren't as easy as OHS and t shield seats so we got new ones". The foster parents didn't do much to change either. Most still have expired seats, they aren't in correctly, ect. Even the transporters don't do it right.

Just wait till they show up at your house at 2am with a 4m old in a booster seat, or have somehow strapped a 3yo into an infant seat ff.

Sad to say, but DFS is held accountable to no one and until a bio parent sues them for neglect after their child dies and it makes national headlines and they refuse to take the hush money the agency offers, nothing is going to change. In our paperwork even you just have to sign that you will transport them in a car seat. They want the meds locked up, plugs covered, car insurance, bank statements, paycheck stubs, bill statements, go over your life with a fine tooth comb and then don't even check about seats and usage which is the number 1 killer of kids. I'd rather they checked the seats and not the smoke alarms!

:yeahthat:

My BFF is a social worker. She doesn't drive kids, but works with kids who are having kids. Everything she knows about car seats she learned from me, and I'm not a CPST.

I will say though, education never hurt anyone, so if people seem interested, try it. Even one person being better informed will be worth your efforts.

Even funnier (or not) here, they checked all MY carseats for expriration dates (well, the worker gave up at 6 ), but all the transporters use expired/improper seats. I've had 18 month olds in boosters, 30 month olds in the front seat (with nothing), no straps, etc from transporters They've sent out multiple letters to FP regarding carseat safety - hmm, maybe they need to educate their OWN employees as well (transporters work for the county).

Thanks for offering Chameleon but just too sad that you so far away I am going to try to get a hold of someone tomorrow.

I really do not understand why foster parents use old expired seats- where I am at the first thing the social worker does is buying a seat for the child, yes they are usually cheap seats but still approved and NEW. I usually just put them in the closet for when the child leaves it can go with them.
One of "my" social workers is very, very interested on how to put a seat in correctly and I tried to show her as much as I can- she did not even know how to use the LATCH and what a LATCH was (I did not know either until the beginning of the yr because my son used a seat before LATCH came out). She told me that several workers at her office would love to be taught the correct way because they are learning it from other Foster Parents and most of the time they don't know either.
I really do not understand why a quick class is offered every time a new "batch" of foster parents gets approved....