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In mid-March we suspended all in-person car seat checks to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Like many other services, our resources went online. We began to offer virtual car seat checks in late March and continue to offer this service.
The Covid pandemic has upended almost all facets of our lives. Still, babies are being born and parents, grandparents, and other caregivers continue to need to transport kids in vehicles safely. To that end, MCFRS’ Car Seat Program has had to modify the way we provide caregivers with child passenger safety resources. Our goal continues to be to provide high quality, relevant, and timely child passenger safety assistance to all caregivers in need.
Virtual Car Seat Assistance
Our virtual car seat check appointments mirror what we would
do during a regular in-person car seat check. We verify that the seats are not
expired and operational. If the caregivers have already installed the seat, we take
the necessary steps to ensure that the car seat is installed correctly. If it
is not, we will walk the caregiver through the steps to correctly install the car
seat. If the caregiver has not installed the seat, we provide step by step instructions.
We always have our computers open to that car seat’s instruction manual as a
reference and we have a demonstration car seat to provide guidance on our end
of the video.
Once the car seat is correctly installed, we review the
features of that specific car seat and we demonstrate how to correctly harness
a child into the car seat using our demonstration seats and dolls. We also take
the time to answer all questions that the caregiver may have. As with in-person
car seat checks, our goal at the end of the virtual appointment is to make the
caregiver feel comfortable and confident using their car seat and that all
their questions have been addressed. To schedule a virtual car seat appointment
with us, visit .
However, MCFRS is not the only program to offer virtual car
seat appointments. Most car seat manufacturers have begun offering virtual
appointments to assist that families that bought that manufacturer’s car seat.
Maryland Kids in Safety Seats, a statewide program, also provides virtual car
seat appointments as does the Fitzgerald Auto Mall group.
Telephone Assistance
MCFRS’ car seat program continues to offer assistance via
phone. If you have any questions related
to car seats such as when to move you child from one stage of car seats to the
next or if you feel that a part of the car seat is not functioning properly or
not correctly installed, give us a call. Need to schedule a virtual car seat
appointment? Call us at 240-777-2223 and
we’ll gladly answer your questions.
Online Resources and Videos
We have also posted valuable resources and links to videos
on our website. We provide links to videos on how to properly install car seat.
There are many videos online, especially on YouTube, that offer guidance on how
to install car seats but not all of them provide correct information. To
address this, we have video links to reputable organizations. We also have
links to other national car seat organizations and car seat manufacturers. In
some cases, caregivers feel more comfortable going directly to the car seat
manufacturer to address their questions or concerns and we provide those direct
links. Visit our resources page: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcfrs-info/tips/parents/carseats.html.
Please remember to never leave a child alone in the car and
always buckle up! Everyone, every ride. Stay safe and healthy.
