Childhood Opportunity Zones (COZ)
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RHODE ISLAND
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PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS |
PROGRAM AREA(S) |
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Targets hard-to-reach/at risk population |
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Injury Prevention |
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TYPE OF JURISDICTION |
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State |
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TARGETED POPULATION(S) |
JURISDICTION SIZE |
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Children |
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987,429 |
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
The leading cause of death
and disability to children is unintentional injuries. More than
8,000 children die each year in the United States, while another
50,000 children are permanently disabled due to unintentional
injuries.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Childhood Opportunity Zones (COZ) are school-based family
centers through which human services are provided to the 20 school
districts in Rhode Island. The traffic safety component of the
COZ was established in 1996, with the goal of reduction of fatalities
and disabilities to Rhode Island children due to unintentional
injuries. The following objectives helped attain the goal:
- Promote child safety seat and seat
belt use
- Promote bicycle safety and helmet
use
- Promote pedestrian safety
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Rhode Island Department of Education and Department of Health
together developed a strategy for addressing the injury prevention
issues concerning the state's children. The primary strategy for
implementation of a comprehensive injury prevention program was
use of the established human services delivery program, the COZ.
Department of Health program administrators developed a competition
for the funds that solicited proposals for traffic safety activities
from the state's 20 school districts. Six of the school districts
were funded and employed some of the following activities in addressing
the goal and objectives of the program:
- All six of the school districts
awarded funding implemented a variety of programs on occupant
protection, including proper child seat belt use. The COZ administrators
in each of the six school districts were trained in safety seat
installation, and then presented training in workshops to parents
of the children in the affected school district. Some COZs distributed
safety seats free-of-charge, and others established a loaner
program. One district sponsored a safety belt poster contest,
and other districts conducted safety seat inspection drive-through
clinics
- Three of the school districts conducted
bicycle safety programs, including the distribution of helmets
and bicycle rodeos
- Three of the COZs chose to implement
pedestrian safety activities which, in some instances, included
pedestrian safety training presented to parents of the school
district's children
RESULTS
Each of the funded COZs were
required by the criteria of their award to perform pre-and post-program
analyses on traffic safety issues. Some results include the following:
- 902 child safety seats were distributed
- 12 child safety seat inspection
drive-through clinics were conducted
- 1,234 bicycle helmets were distributed
- 123 students from one COZ participated
in a safety belt poster contest
- Child safety seat use in one COZ
increased from 45.7 percent, pre-program, to 71.1 percent, post-program
- Knowledge of pedestrian safety rules
in one COZ improved from 32 percent to 69 percent during the
program year
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FUNDING |
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Section 402: |
$100,000 |
CONTACT |
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Edward J. Walsh
Administrator
Governor's Office on Highway Safety
345 Harris Avenue
Providence, RI 02909
(401) 222-3024 |
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
Spring 1998 |