Thumbs down to our health department.

Shaunam

New member
I learned they have a car seat program through WIC. We technically already have a seat for this baby (DS's old scenera), but I'd like to have another one for grandma's car (she'd be the one to watch them if I go back to work or school). So trying not to feel like I'm taking advantage, I called them....2 months ago.

I called, they said I had to be in my 3rd trimester to get one. Ok, that was only two weeks away. No one called back (like they said they would). So I call again, and again. I left my # at least 3 times. No one answers or returns my calls.

By this point, I just want to keep trying because I'm curious what the class will be like and how decent the seat is. :eek:

Then two weeks ago, I got a postcard about the car seat program. They sent them out to everyone who gets WIC apparently (my friends got them too).

So I'm 36 weeks now, having contractions and lots of discharge (and crossing my fingers that this baby wants to come out soon). The baby could come tomorrow or not for another month or so, but still, if I was someone who truly had no other options, I'd be SOL.

I called again today and told them this baby could come anytime and they said they'd get back to me in a week or two. :confused: :thumbsdown:

WHY have a car seat program if you don't help anyone? I went to their website and sent them a message telling them exactly what has happened and how it worries me because so many people here don't use seats or use them correctly and if they are going to have a car seat program, then help someone for crying out loud!

I'm not worried about us obviously. I'm past that. I don't care if we get a seat or not. MIL is hoping it's a girl so she can buy the girly scenera for her car. Shoot, she might buy it even if we have a boy. :rolleyes:

I'm just wondering why in the heck they bother at all.
 
ADS

Shaunam

New member
They called me!

After I sent that message on-line, I got a phone call. :thumbsup: It was straight from the person in charge of the program (I guess I was only getting through to the main "health services" dept) and she apologized profusely and thanked me for my concern. I told her I didn't need a car seat right away so it was no big deal, I was just concerned for other parents in need. She hadn't gotten back to me because the main dept wasn't giving her messages so who knows how many other people were trying to get through and couldn't!

She said they were in the process of switching the program. I guess it was WIC and now it's in the hands of the health dept, or the other way around. And they were backed up. The postcards really shouldn't have been sent out because then they were just backed up more and couldn't help nearly as many people as they reached. Now they are doing it based on need rather than first come, first served like the post cards stated.

We talked for 15 minutes! She sounded rather stressed out about the situation, I felt bad for her. I think they just don't really have a grasp on things and she gets stuck dealing with all the problems it causes. :(
 

Shaunam

New member
Oh and she sounded like a good tech. Definitely all for ERF and EH. She wishes they could afford bigger harnessed seats for kids who really need them, but all they have is boosters. :(

They give out cosco sceneras for smaller kids, cosco harnessed boosters for kids who are already forward facing, and I don't know what kind of boosters, I forgot to ask. It sounds like it's *normally* a good program when they aren't dealing with problems from the program switching hands.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Based on my program for a similar audience, I'm guessing the booster is probably the same: Cosco Highback -- with harness removed ... or maybe the backless Cosco booster (I'm brain farting on the name).
 

Avery'sMama

CPST Instructor
We struggle with this issue in our county. Until a friend (who works for the health dept and is a tech) and I started pursuing opening a chapter of safe kids in the county we had NO seats to give out!! One local human service agency gave out DONATED USED seats. That was it!!! We were lucky to get a good supply for a recent event and only gave out half, so we still have some convertibles (sceneras), combos (evenflo) and backless boosters (evenflo). It's not fabulous, but they are free and much better than what we are replacing. It's a hard situation, made worse in areas like Michigan where the economy is so bad. I'm glad that you finally got through to someone!
 

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