Injury Prevention Program
Initiatives
Children's Hospital Boston administers and supports many community initiatives designed to prevent childhood injury. We are actively involved in the following programs and organizations:
Car and Bicycle Safety
The purpose of the Child Passenger Safety Program is to offer education, resources and direct services to families in need of support. Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians deliver educational materials and install car and booster seats:
- for families with a child at Children's as an inpatient
- through community partnerships with local health clinics
- on-site through Community Car-seat Installation events
Income-eligible families that receive care at Children's Primary Care Center can receive a car seat or booster seat, as needed. To ensure that the seats are properly installed and utilized, we require that families attend a one-hour training session before receiving a seat. We also offer car seat installation services to families upon request. For more information please contact the Injury Prevention program at 617-355-7332.
Through collaboration with the Brain Injury Center and ThinkFirst Boston programming, children are taught the fundamentals of head and spine injury prevention, in addition to being properly fitted with a sports helmet. The Injury Prevention Program provides free helmets to Massachusetts children each year through the Children's Primary Care Center, the Martha Eliot Health Center, Boston Children's North and other neighborhood health centers.
ThinkFirst
ThinkFirst Boston is a free, school-based program offered by Children's to schools in Boston and surrounding neighborhoods. The program is intended to teach first- through third-graders about preventing injuries to their brains and spinal cords.
ThinkFirst Boston provides age-specific programs for kids, youth and teens to increase their awareness and knowledge, so that an effective foundation for prevention can be established and later reinforced. Contact Michelle Parker at 617-355-2281 to learn how Children's can bring ThinkFirst Boston to your school.
Injury Free Coalition for Kids
The Injury Free Coalition for Kids is a National Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation composed of hospital-based community oriented programs whose efforts are anchored in research, education and advocacy. The Injury Prevention Program at Children's is the Boston site for the Injury Free Coalition for Kids. Go to the Injury Free Coalition for Kids website for more information.
The Safety Store is a kiosk located in the main hospital lobby that offers a selection of safety products and an array of educational programming and materials on site. The Safety Store is also the designated purchasing location of helmets for Boston's new Hubway Bike Program for the Longwood Medical Area stop.
Pediatric Injury Research
Children's is home to the world's largest research enterprise at a pediatric medical center. Basic research, clinical research and community research programs run through the Injury Prevention Program, the Trauma Center and a collaborative effort hospital-wide—as we continue to grow the knowledge base and understanding of pediatric injury.
SAFE (Seatbelts are for Everyone) Coalition
Buckling up is a simple step to saving lives and reducing the enormous costs (physical, emotional and financial) associated with motor vehicle-related injuries. The Children's Injury Prevention Program is involved in the SAFE Coalition's lobbying and public education campaigns.
