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A car seat ranks up there with diapers and bottles when it comes to early childhood necessities. But like those other necessities, some families have trouble paying for car seats. There are programs offered that can help needy families acquire them, one of which is the Car Seat Mini-Grant offered at the Decatur County Health Department. This grant program, awarded through the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Injury Prevention Program, rather than money, instead supplies health departments with car seats, as well as educational material for parents.

Not everyone is eligible to receive a car seat, and families looking to acquire one from the grant must fill out an application to determine their financial eligibility, as well as attend a class offered on the last Thursday of every month.

The grant program is not exclusively handled through the Health Department, rather, it is a collaborative effort with Bainbridge Public Safety, with representatives from BPS Julie Harris and Courtney Chavers acting as certified Child Passenger Safety technicians.

“It’s our responsibility to keep our children safe,” Harris said in an official statement. “The Car Seat Mini-Grant is a great opportunity to help our community and help protect our children from serious injuries or death in motor vehicle crashes.”

There is no age restriction on seats, according to Harris. Rather, “any child that belongs in a car seat or booster seat,” based on their height and weight, are eligible. Expectant mothers who meet the requirements can get a seat for their unborn child as well.

Director Austin Stuckey with the Decatur County Health Department also spoke to the Post-Searchlight about the program.

“I think it’s kind of underserved,” she said. “I don’t think a lot of people know about it, but there is a lot of eligibility for it.”

She continued, “Most of the counties in our region offer this program, so it’s not Decatur County residents only. But if anyone is interested, they should definitely reach out to the Health Department. We’d be glad to schedule them for the class, or even check eligibility if they need a seat.”

For more information, contact the Health department at 229-248-3055.