Safe Kids of Kenosha and Racine
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - All Saints
“Had we not learned how to properly install our child safety seat, our five month old daughter would have been ejected out the back window,” said Steffany Caputo of Kenosha, Wisconsin, recounting the motor vehicle accident that nearly took her life, and that of her husband and daughter. “The base of the car seat was twisted. The locking clips were bent. But there wasn’t a scratch on our daughter.”
Months before the accident, Steffany had attended a free child safety seat inspection provided by the Safe Kids Coalition of Kenosha and Racine Counties. “I credit the program 100% for saving our daughter’s life.”
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – All Saints is the lead agency for the Safe Kids Coalition of Kenosha and Racine Counties. Through this program, local health care workers, fire fighters, police officers, educators, and others partner to teach kids, daycare workers, and parents about preventing injuries to children.
“After the accident I kept thinking, something good has to come of this,” Steffany related. She became a volunteer with Safe Kids and soon gained certification through the program as a Child Passenger Safety Technician. “I felt like I needed to put my experience to good use and get certified.”
All Saints’ Erin Donaldson serves as Safe Kids Coordinator for the Kenosha and Racine coalition. “As lead agency, All Saints provides office space, staff, marketing, and financial support through our philanthropic arm, All Saints Foundation,” she explained.
Part of Safe Kids Worldwide, the Kenosha and Racine Coalition works to bring attention to areas like motor vehicle safety, bicycle and pedestrian safety, poisoning risks, product recalls, safe sleeping practices, and more.
“Preventable injury is the number one killer of kids up to age 14,” Erin explained. “The safer kids are out there, the less likely they are to end up in our Emergency Department.”
“Safe Kids does an excellent job keeping all of us up to speed and getting out into the community,” added Steffany. “The word is getting out there!”