Niswonger Children’s Hospital secures Tennessee Highway Safety Office funding; expands car seat safety programs

Children in the Appalachian Highlands can travel more safely, thanks to funding from the Tennessee Highway Safety Office being utilized by the Children’s Resource Center at Niswonger Children’s Hospital.

Through the funding, the Children’s Resource Center is offering a range of car seat safety classes and programs, including Child Passenger Safety Technician trainings, monthly car seat checkpoints and education to community members and Niswonger Children’s Hospital patients.

To ensure greater accessibility for community members, the car seat checkpoints and education – which includes Car Seat 101 courses – will be provided in both English and Spanish. The Tennessee Highway Safety Office funding also enables Children’s Resource Center team members to offer these services free of charge for families and parents.

“Car seats are such crucial, lifesaving equipment – but many parents and guardians aren’t fully aware of how to use them safely,” said Lisa Carter, chief executive officer of Niswonger Children’s Hospital and Ballad Health’s vice president of pediatric services. “We’re excited to offer these programs to our community, so more people know how to keep babies, toddlers and children safe on the road.

“Our deepest appreciation to the Tennessee Highway Safety Office for helping us furnish this work and extend these vital programs throughout the Appalachian Highlands.”

The car seat safety programs are available to parents and families in the Tennessee counties of Niswonger Children’s Hospital’s service area. Additional opportunities are available for areas of Southwest Virginia, Western North Carolina and Eastern Kentucky.

Interested families can email crcinfo@balladhealth.org or call 423-431-1224 to schedule a car seat check or learn more about the programs offered by the children’s hospital. Events are also posted to Niswonger Children’s Hospital’s Facebook page.