Learn To Keep Kids Safe In Cars At Southington Child Seat Event

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Local police and educators will be spending much of Saturday, Sept. 6, making sure folks have properly installed car safety seats for their children.

The Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington (ECCS) and the Southington Police Department are hosting a free child car seat safety check on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Calendar House Senior/Community Center, 388 Pleasant St., Southington.

Connecticut’s car seat safety regulations have weight and age requirements and impact all children under the age of 8.

The Southington Police Department will have several certified child passenger safety seat officers to
perform the checks, which will occur on a first-come, first-served basis.

The technicians will check the car seat to see if it’s expired or recalled.

Then they will obtain the height and weight of the child to make sure the seat properly fits.

If necessary, they will adjust harness straps to fit the child before the installation occurs.

Then, they will install the seat, making sure to teach and answer questions as they install.

The technicians may even walk the adults through installing the seat themselves to ensure they know how to install the seat safely for the child.

Educational materials will also be available.

Because this is an educational event, any installation or usage issues identified during the car seat
Safety check will be corrected, and the police will not be issuing tickets for car seat violations.

“Parents and grandparents tell me that they struggle with car seat installation and getting their
child to fit comfortably, so this is an opportunity to have a trained expert help them,” said
Joanne Kelleher, director of the Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington. “I have attended
several of these car seat safety clinics, and I always learn something new.”

The Bradley Henry Barnes & Leila Upson Barnes Memorial Trust at the Main Street Community Foundation provided funding to help the ECCS promote car seat safety and improve the well-being of Southington’s young children.

The Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington is a group of committed educators, parents,
grandparents, healthcare and childcare providers, business owners, civic organizations, and
members of the community who are deeply invested in the growth, development, and academic
success of young children in Southington.

For more information on Connecticut's child car seat laws, click on this link.