Car Seat and Booster Seat Information
by A Brighter Childhood on 10/09/14Sometimes, all of the information and guidelines about car seat and booster seat use can be overwhelming. We've compiled a list of tips and various reputable children's safety websites to help assist you!
Remember:
- Car seats have expiration dates! There is sometimes a label on the bottom or side of the car seat that tells you the date it needs to be discarded. If there is no expiration date listed, add six years to the manufacturing date - that is your car seat's expiration date.
- A child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. Keep them in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible. Once they outgrow the rear-facing car seat, switch them to a forward-facing car seat.
- Keep your youth in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat's manufacturer.
- Once your foster youth outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, move on to a booster seat in the back seat. Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly (the lap belt must lie snug across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt must lie snug across the shoulder and chest).
- Keep your child in the back seat until at least age 12.
- California law states that children under the age of 8 must be properly buckled into a car seat or booster seat in the back seat. However, this is the minimum required. To keep your foster youth as safe as possible, also follow these safety tips listed on the blog and on the following websites.
For more details on car seat safety, visit these webpages:
This page gives recommendations regarding which kinds of car seats best meet your foster youth's needs.
This page includes tips to make sure that your car seats and booster seats are used and installed correctly.
This page lists five simple steps that you can quickly perform to ensure that your car seat is safe and installed correctly.
This page is a list of agencies in Sacramento County that assist caregivers with car seat safety. Some of these agencies may even provide low cost seats to eligible families.
For more information, please use the "Contact Us" button.
