?s about car seat checks

FrogJuice · Jan 9, 2009

We have monthly car seat checks available, and I just know got my friend to set up an appointment to go. I'm curious as to what you think they will do for her. she has a 4yr who is around 40 llbs in a highback booster who constanly unbuckles herself, do you think they will put her back in a 5point?
then she has a 2yr old around 35lbs who is riding in a 5point harness with a broken chest clip, will they do anything about that?
she also has a 6mo old who is riding in a expired infant seat, it's so old it doesn't have a base, the thing is she really likes to use the infant carrier, and I don't know if they usually give those out,but would they at least take the expired one away so she can't use it?
and she basically needs all new seats, do they have a limit as to how many they will give out to each family?
when I went last month I have good seats so they basically just checked to make sure everything was good, but they did have a mountain of car seat boxes, the only brands I saw was the britax marathon and the evenflo big kid booster.
But what do you think they will do?

mominabigtruck · Jan 9, 2009

Seriously, you went to a carseat clinic and they were handing out britax

The 6mo will probably get a convertible, I don't know any place that gives out infant seats and the 2 yo will probably get a combo booster. 4yo and 40lbs they're not going to do anything about, she might get some tips on how to stop him from unbuckling.

wendytthomas · Jan 9, 2009

Depends. If those seats are there to give away then they'll probably give a seat to the baby, and maybe the 2 year old. The four year old in a booster wouldn't upset a lot of techs who aren't here on c-s.org.

I don't know of places around here that give away seats at every check, though I'm sure there are agencies that can help who do. If she came to me I would encourage her to get a harnessed seat for the four year old, tell her to call the manufacturer to get a new chest clip for the two year old, and I would tell her her infant seat is expired and must be replaced. I'd write down the phone number for the manufacturer and then give her a list of seats that may be in her budget for the four year old and baby. That's all I could do.

Wendy

Starlight · Jan 9, 2009

At a check up here, we'd tell her that she needs to go buy an infant seat and a convertible seat. :twocents:

pastrygirl · Jan 9, 2009

At our checks, we know ahead of time who will need seats and how many. I know we've given out two seats to one family, possibly even three seats.

Minniemouse · Jan 9, 2009

If a person calls the county health department looking for assistance w/ seats... we will set them up w/ them at one of the monthly checks but we generally don't have "free" seats available at the check stations.

Individual check events though... we generally have a few seats on hand because our Safe Kids coordinator brings the van w/ a bunch of options.

tanyaandallie · Jan 9, 2009

AT the checks here she would leave with new seats for the 2 youngest kids for sure. We do not give out infant seats, though. Baby would go in a Tribute, 2 year old likely in a Chase. We actually have the Apex and would very possibly give it to the older child if he was not able to stay buckled in a booster.

As you can see what happens with seat replacement is very dependent on where you go and who you see.

I just can't imagine they give away Britax seats!!

FrogJuice · Jan 9, 2009

yep, they gave out marathons last month there was a bunch empty boxes of ones they had already used and more still in the boxes. I have tried so hard with my friend and she just won't listen they spend all this money on electronics and stuff for themselves, they could so afford to buy nice seats if they would use there money torwards there childrens safety rather then there entertainment. They honestly don't care, it took me forever to convince her to go to this check, I hope she does actually go know. I guess even if she doesn't get the ideal of new seats they at least knock some sense into her on her childrens safety.

LISmama810 · Jan 9, 2009

One coalition I work with does not give out seats at events; another does. What they have, and how many they have, is often a toss-up. They'll give seats to anyone who needs them, but there might not be one that works.

I would have her call and explain the situation ahead of time. That way, if they have seats, they can be sure to bring appropriate ones. (i.e., Maybe they have an Apex sitting around, but weren't planning on taking it to the event.)

No guarantees, though.

thepeach80 · Jan 9, 2009

I want to go get a Britax, lol! We don't do infant seats here either, especially for a 6 mos old. We have Titans and Expresses (the Chase w/ a different name). We probably woudln't do anything about the 4yo though, but I would reccomend she get a new seat though. As long as she met the requirements to use the seat and it wasn't expired etc, she'd be on her own there. Here we only give seats out though to those who can prove WIC or Medicaid etc and we ask for a donation of something.

spokaneCPST · Jan 9, 2009

If she came to one of our local Safekids events, the baby would be put into a Scenera or Titan depending on who grabbed the seat out of the trailer. The 2yo would either get a Titan or a Chase. Depending on the tech/sr checker involved (especially if I butt my nose in like I usually do), the 4yo could get an Apex. Unfortunately, it would not even occur to some techs that we have HWH seats in stock or that there are options for over 4yrs/40 pounds.

BW1426 · Jan 9, 2009

kelandmad said:
I guess even if she doesn't get the ideal of new seats they at least knock some sense into her on her childrens safety.

You'd think or at least hope, right? Unfortunately it's hard to knock sense into people who don't want to be knocked

Hopefully she's receptive.

Does she use her seats properly at least?

Even when I have seen HWH seats available, they're generally only given to very large 2 and 3 year olds and often not even to 3 year olds. If her daughter is 4 and unbuckling her booster while they are driving and she doesn't have any special needs, this is likely at least partially a discipline issue.

FrogJuice · Jan 9, 2009

her 4yr old, there is definatly something wrong, but she refused to have her checked, she harms herself, can't speak, she screams constanly, she definatly isn't your normal 4yr, if she is at my house with friends of mine who have never met her, they don't believe me when I tell them she is 4, my 5yr old is actually only 9mos older then her but it seems more like years.
I never really get a good chance to check to see if the seats are installed sterdy, but I do know that they wear there winter coats, the 4yr booster arm rest are both at differnt heights, and the lap belt is going accross her tummy, the 2yr's straps are loose and below her shoulders, she is ff, also I know she got the seat I think it's an evenflo chace at a thrift store, so who knows what it's already been through, it's not the nicest looking things, and the infant seat cover doesn't even fit right, its a 3point and the straps are loose and she doesn't buckle it up in the belt grooves she just buckles it up over the seat. I've tried to tell her stuff, and show her videos, but I haven't gotten any where.

mommyto4kiddos · Jan 9, 2009

We only sell seats. Actually we have given out one seat at a check up and it was to a kid who still fit in her other seat. They were black and from another country. I don't know why the director felt the need to give them another seat.

We would tell them to call about the chestclip and get a new infant seat, but we allow people to leave in expired seats if they choose not to buy a new one. I think out checks may be the odd ones, most i'd say she'd at least leave with one new seat.

emandbri · Jan 10, 2009

I've never heard of anyone giving out britax seats before.

At our checks we have cosco high backs and Scenera and that is it.

So if she came to us the 4 year old would stay in the seat they are in since we don't have any seats that can be used past 40 lbs.

For the 2 year old I bet she would be told she might be able to buy a chest clip at toys r us depending on the brand or she could call and order one.

We would not let the baby leave in an expired seat and they would get a scenera. They normally charge I think $25 for them but if someone says they can't afford $25 they will get one for free.

carseatcoach · Jan 10, 2009

mommyto4kiddos said:
We only sell seats. Actually we have given out one seat at a check up and it was to a kid who still fit in her other seat. They were black and from another country. I don't know why the director felt the need to give them another seat.

I don't think that's relevant or helpful information (although if they were from another country, the seat may not have been legal to use in the US).

We would give the baby a convertible. We might or might not replace the seat with a broken chest clip -- it depends on what we have available and what we anticipate needing. We would likely not be able to help the 4yo at the check, but we might be able to make an appointment or a referral.

Tyler'sMom1117 · Jan 10, 2009

chickabiddy said:
I don't think that's relevant or helpful information (although if they were from another country, the seat may not have been legal to use in the US).

We would give the baby a convertible. We might or might not replace the seat with a broken chest clip -- it depends on what we have available and what we anticipate needing. We would likely not be able to help the 4yo at the check, but we might be able to make an appointment or a referral.

:yeahthat:

FrogJuice · Jan 10, 2009

I wanna thank everyone for giving me an idea of how they will help my friend, one more thing she is talking about leaving the baby at home, if the baby's not there will they still possibly get her a new seat for him. She will still bring her seat just not the baby.

LISmama810 · Jan 10, 2009

If the baby's not there, there's a good chance she won't get a seat for him. The people working the event have no way of knowing if the kid even exists. She could be claiming to have another kid just to get a free seat to sell. (That has been the policy at the events I've worked where we've given out seats. I don't know if it's the same everywhere.)

Also, without the child, the technicians have no way of knowing whether the child actually fits in the seat, or how to adjust that one (or a new one) so it does. It's really VERY beneficial to have the kids there.

bobandjess99 · Jan 10, 2009

We only have sceneras to give away, NEVER infant seats, so we'd take the expired one and give the 6 mo a scenera. If the 2 year old were TRULY 35 pounds or more...we'd probably give them a booster for her, honestly. I don't know if we have combos ....the only seats I know we have are sceneras, hbb's and some backless boosters. And we probably wouldn't give out a scenera to a kid that's going to outgrow it soon...if she were closer to 30, she'd prolly get the scenera though. Or else if we HAD something like a chase, she'd get that, but I dont think Ive ever seen any....
and she wouldn't get anything at all for a child who wasn't present, period.
And we would ask for a donation of whatever they could afford for ythe seats, although if it was only like $1 we would accept that.

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