WCID? Special needs kids come to school in a taxi with no safety seats.

JaRylan

New member
The poll (I didn't vote, none of the options applied) about driving or taking the bus to school got me thinking about something that has been bothering me for a long time.

Rylan attends a early-intervention integrated pre-school program that is located in a K-8 school. There are 5 children in his class who take a taxi to school...only one of them uses a booster. The one who uses a booster is a skinny, 4 year old boy with a traecheotomy and a nurse and they come in a separate taxi. The little girl with Down's Syndrome doesn't use a seat :eek: (but we can't let her do somersaults because of the risk of cervical spine injury - Atlantoaxial Instability). The other children have problems sitting still in class, but I'm sure they do wonderful in the car. :rolleyes: Usually there are four children riding in a large sedan, one in the front seat, I don't know if the middle has a shoulder belt or if it is just a lap belt. I don't know if the front seat has airbags. The kids are all under 8 years old. I know that if the parents sent a child restraint (harnessed or booster) the school would use it...but noone seems to be concerned. I think someone even told me that the taxi's have different rules as far as transporting children. I was told Rylan would get his own taxi (paid for by the school program) because of his seizures, in that case I could put his seat into it without delaying everyone else. But I'm not installing any seat, especially a Radian in the taxi, then have the school install it for him to come home, then install it again in my car in case we needed to go somewhere (for fun or emergency) and then start over again in the morning. We live 6 blocks from the school and in addition to the safety issues, I can't fathom the amount of money it would cost the school for that short of a distance. I know that the taxi is necessary for the other children, but I wish there was something I could do to make them safer. For field trips they ride on a bus but it has no seatbelts.


So I guess what I am asking/wanting help with is how should I approach the school or the program director about the safety issues? I don't want to come off like I am trying to tell them how to do their job...but I also don't want them to fall back on current policy. We are in Canada.

What would be the minimum that could be done to improve the situation? If they made it mandatory to use a low back booster with a shoulder belt then at least the belts would be positioned better. Is this the best that I can hope for?

What would be the best solution?

What can be done about the middle position which might only be a lapbelt? Anything, besides don't use it or use a harnessed seat? I don't think there are any options in Canada.

I don't think that harnessed seats would improve the situation much because of the high chance of misuse. Most of the kids are probably out of harnessed seats anyways.

- child under 8 in the front seat, not sure about air bag
- child possibly in a lap belt in the middle back
- no child restraints being used (save for the booster kid with the traecheotomy who bounces off the walls)
- kids are 3-8 years old
- 5 year old girl with Down Syndrome (possible risk for cervical spine injury)

None of this of course addresses the issue of all the "typical" kids who arrive at school in who knows what...one step at a time.

Thanks,
 
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flipper68

Senior Community Member
You could bring it up with your child's teacher and/or IEP manager as a concern. You could also ask about an 'e-z on vest' for field trips.

What you really need to do is connect with the parents, since CPS is usually a bottom up kind of thing.

Also, I don't think that the same rules apply for taxis vs. regular vehicles.

Same type of thing happens here with kids in foster care: There's a company that transports them to appointments but, even though they are contracted with Health and Human Services, they don't do any CPS that I've been able to see. I've seen several kids climb into the front seat (again, I'm at a K-5 school. . .) and put the shoulder belt behind or under their arm. I met one lady in the parking lot as she was picking up an older child. The little one was in an OLD FP t-shield (can there be a new t-shield :confused:) and most likely was OVER 40 pounds. I said, "Do you know that your seat has been recalled for safety reasons and it is only to be used 'til 40 lbs.?"

She was appalled BUT said that her company provided the seats so she would mention it to her supervisor. I never saw the child being picked up again. . .

Good luck with the school system. I'm not up on Canadian special education law, but in the US, transportation is part of a child's IEP and therefore is legally mandated. That's why the school offered to transport your child. . .he wouldn't be able to get to/from school by himself.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
The Yahoo CPS group has a "sister" listserve re: special needs -- memberships have to be approved, though ... I'm on it in case any of my pregnant mamas need special info: would you like me to copy/paste your post there & relay any helpful info?
 

JaRylan

New member
The Yahoo CPS group has a "sister" listserve re: special needs -- memberships have to be approved, though ... I'm on it in case any of my pregnant mamas need special info: would you like me to copy/paste your post there & relay any helpful info?

I would appreciate it Tiffany. Is it written clearly enough?

Thanks for your response too Flipper, I see what you are saying about starting with the parents. Kind of hard to choose the path of least resistance when I think both sides will be resisting, lol.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
I think it's fine ... but, if you notice anything that you would like to re-word just let me know (I'll wait till you reply again) :)
 

beeman

Active member
Sound's like your a victim of Saskatchewans wonderful school boards not wanting to update their policies :mad: . My school division's policy for transporting kids is that there must be a working seatbelt for each child :eek: . It's better than nothing, but doesn't cover current needs. Also the Saskatchewan law for transporting kids over 4/40lbs until they are 16 is that they must use a working seatbelt. Therefore they can not ride in older vehicles without seat belts (school busses and exception) Taxi's are exempt from child restraint laws. If you don't want the trouble of installing a seat in the taxi every day, you could always drive or walk him to school (walking may be questionable, depending on the area of town you live in). As for the other kids, you could approach the parents about changing their ways, send out an informational pamphlet (and not SGI's useless outdated one!) and/or approach the school board about changing the policy. If you recieve no results there, you could always run and get on the school board, and then you're in the door for making changes. As for changing laws in taxi's, I don't think it's likely to happen due to the fact that no taxi driver would want to carry seats around in their car, and that there are a large amount of child passengers that are from families that don't own a car or a carseat. School busses aren't likely to change, with the controversy of whether you can fit 2 or 3 passengers in a seat, and the large cost of installing belts in all of our busses. With school boards here it's a tough fight to change anything that they don't see important or "practical", so it will be a tough fight. Stick with it and don't give up. I'm cheering for you. Plus, if you suceed, you will set a new standard for school divisions province wide :D !
 

JaRylan

New member
I think it's fine ... but, if you notice anything that you would like to re-word just let me know (I'll wait till you reply again) :)

Tiffany, you can post it as is. I'm sure there is something that I could change, just not sure what, lol.

Thank you!
 

JaRylan

New member
Sound's like your a victim of Saskatchewans wonderful school boards not wanting to update their policies :mad: . My school division's policy for transporting kids is that there must be a working seatbelt for each child :eek: . It's better than nothing, but doesn't cover current needs. Also the Saskatchewan law for transporting kids over 4/40lbs until they are 16 is that they must use a working seatbelt. Therefore they can not ride in older vehicles without seat belts (school busses and exception) Taxi's are exempt from child restraint laws. If you don't want the trouble of installing a seat in the taxi every day, you could always drive or walk him to school (walking may be questionable, depending on the area of town you live in). As for the other kids, you could approach the parents about changing their ways, send out an informational pamphlet (and not SGI's useless outdated one!) and/or approach the school board about changing the policy. If you recieve no results there, you could always run and get on the school board, and then you're in the door for making changes. As for changing laws in taxi's, I don't think it's likely to happen due to the fact that no taxi driver would want to carry seats around in their car, and that there are a large amount of child passengers that are from families that don't own a car or a carseat. School busses aren't likely to change, with the controversy of whether you can fit 2 or 3 passengers in a seat, and the large cost of installing belts in all of our busses. With school boards here it's a tough fight to change anything that they don't see important or "practical", so it will be a tough fight. Stick with it and don't give up. I'm cheering for you. Plus, if you suceed, you will set a new standard for school divisions province wide :D !

child_restraints.jpg
 
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JaRylan

New member
Sound's like your a victim of Saskatchewans wonderful school boards not wanting to update their policies :mad: . My school division's policy for transporting kids is that there must be a working seatbelt for each child :eek: . It's better than nothing, but doesn't cover current needs. Also the Saskatchewan law for transporting kids over 4/40lbs until they are 16 is that they must use a working seatbelt. Therefore they can not ride in older vehicles without seat belts (school busses and exception) Taxi's are exempt from child restraint laws. If you don't want the trouble of installing a seat in the taxi every day, you could always drive or walk him to school (walking may be questionable, depending on the area of town you live in). As for the other kids, you could approach the parents about changing their ways, send out an informational pamphlet (and not SGI's useless outdated one!) and/or approach the school board about changing the policy. If you recieve no results there, you could always run and get on the school board, and then you're in the door for making changes. As for changing laws in taxi's, I don't think it's likely to happen due to the fact that no taxi driver would want to carry seats around in their car, and that there are a large amount of child passengers that are from families that don't own a car or a carseat. School busses aren't likely to change, with the controversy of whether you can fit 2 or 3 passengers in a seat, and the large cost of installing belts in all of our busses. With school boards here it's a tough fight to change anything that they don't see important or "practical", so it will be a tough fight. Stick with it and don't give up. I'm cheering for you. Plus, if you suceed, you will set a new standard for school divisions province wide :D !

Grrr, computer is acting up. In my last post the 3-point harnessed infant seat is the one that is on the SGI website.

All of the reasons you stated are why I drive or walk Rylan to school myself.

Thanks for the encouragement, after I've changed all the bad things by being on the school board I suppose the next logical step is run for office and be an MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly - provincial government). ;) You'll have to be my campaign officer.
 

JaRylan

New member
These are photos and info from the SGI website, I think these are the same photos that are in the brochure:

Do consider your child’s size when purchasing a child restraint. For example, a restraint with a shield may sit too high on your infant’s chest to be a good, safe fit.
infant_carrier.jpg

child_seat.jpg

infant_convertible.jpg

This is the only one that looks current, apparently we only update one age group at a time.
booster_kid.jpg

Is it just me or does he look terrified?
seat_belt.jpg
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Just copy/pasted to the CPS healthcare listserve!

The infant seat looks like the one from my course training: it was actually the easiest infant seat to install without a base (compared to snugride, etc.) ... but no one was able to do so correctly in any of the almost 1 dozen various vehicles there without 1-3 pool noodles :eek:

This last kid doesn't seem to pass the 5 step test to me, looks like he could easily slouch so the lap belt is on the soft abdomen :confused:
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
1st response from CPS healthcare listserve

In the US I would tell the Mom to call for an IEP meeting (Individual Education Plan) and spell out in support services what needed to happen for tranportation. I would share articles in advance the explain the safety issue. Also point out the legal liablity to ignoring basic safety practices.

I am not sure how special education works in Canada, if there is any such avenue.

In the mean time if the weather permits, I might suggest walking to school.

Good luck
From "D" in Oregon
 

beeman

Active member
Yeah, the last kid does look terrified. The pamphlet SGI hands out says that he fits the seat belt (the pamphlet says 60lbs!), and yet he's sitting over the seat belt buckle and on the lump of the middle seating position. Give him 2 minutes and he'll slide over to the proper part of the seat (and then see how well the seat belt fits him!). Half of the people on this board would probably still have him harnessed at that age! And to top it all off, the kid in the booster looks bigger and older than the kid in the seat belt.

Now I don't think the harnessed seats are safe, due to the fact that the straps are all loose. And as for updating the photo's, why bother? no one ever buys new seats. The pamphlet also recommends rolling a towel to put under the infant seat to achieve the proper angle. I'll try to dig out the pamphlet, and list a few of the things about carseats they recomend.

Running in the election sounds like fun ;) .
 

beeman

Active member
Hey I was just on another thread about booster laws. JaRylan, we should make a proposal about changing the law (and the pamphlet lol!), and take it to our local MLA's. I know a few people that might sign the proposal, and it could be possible to collect enough signatures to make the law a reality. If this goes through, and we get media attention, your school board will cringe when you walk in to "enforce" the law and try to change their policies to follow :D .
 

JaRylan

New member
Hey I was just on another thread about booster laws. JaRylan, we should make a proposal about changing the law (and the pamphlet lol!), and take it to our local MLA's. I know a few people that might sign the proposal, and it could be possible to collect enough signatures to make the law a reality. If this goes through, and we get media attention, your school board will cringe when you walk in to "enforce" the law and try to change their policies to follow :D .

I'm game if you are, where should we start?
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Response from The Carseat Lady

The Safeguard Go would be a good option for these kids as it is quite easy to install and not prone to lots of the misuse that other seats are - you could teach several school members in one 30 minute session how to install it and how to secure the kids in it.
I replied that I'm not actually invloved beyond cyberspace, but hopefully you could find a local CPST who might get involved :confused:
 

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