The Child & Adolescent Health Network believes that every St. Lucie County child deserves a healthy start, access to health care, the knowledge and skills to stay healthy, and a healthy life plan that reduces risky behavior. The Network has created an annual Report Card that tracks 12 measures of health including rates of prenatal care, health insurance, immunizations, obesity, injury, tobacco, and teen pregnancy.
After tracking these measures for three years, the Network identified injury prevention and healthy weight as priorities. As a result, the Network created two Subcommittees on Injury Prevention and Obesity Prevention.
Injury Prevention Sub-Committee
The Injury Prevention Sub-Committee applied to Safe Kids Worldwide and successfully met the criteria to become a Safe Kids Coalition in 2015. Safe Kids Worldwide is a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries to children.
Unintentional Injuries are the number one killer of children in the United States.
Preventable injuries to children often happen in predictable ways and can be avoided with the right education. The Safe Kids Treasure Coast will be working to reduce unintentional injury from sports, drowning, falls, burns, motor vehicles, poisoning, pedestrian safety, bike safety, and more. The Safe Kids Coalition of St. Lucie County is currently gathering information on the types of unintentional injuries seen in St. Lucie County. Once the information is gathered and reviewed a strategic plan will be developed and implemented.
Safe Kids Treasure Coast www.safekidsstluciefl.org
Child Passenger Safety and Car Seat Education
2015-present, Roundtable partners collaborated to provide passenger safety (car seat) education to the residents of St. Lucie County. This partnership will continue with the Safe Kids Treasure Coast. Over the past year this program assisted in educating caregivers in approximately 4,000 installations or inspections of car seats. The program has been able to provide over 750 car seats to low-income families at a reduced price of $25.00.
The Safe Kids Coalition Treasure Coast looks forward to the continued success of the child passenger safety program as well as the development of programs to address unintentional injuries to children here in St. Lucie County. Injuries to children most often happen in predictable ways and can be prevented with the right education, planning, and awareness.
Safe Kids Treasure Coast D.U.K.S (Deputies United for Kids Swim)
Safe Kids Treasure Coast in 2017 partnered with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and created the Safe Kids Treasure Coast D.U.K.S. (Deputies United for Kids Swim). Through this program they provide free Learn to Swim Lessons to roughly 140 children per year. These lessons are taught by St. Lucie County Sheriff School Resource Deputies and Safe Kids Treasure Cost staff who are Red Cross certified WIS’S or BSI’s. Safe Kids Treasure Coast is the listed Red Cross provider for this program.
Impact Teen Driving
Impact Teen Drivers is a program designed to save lives by changing the attitudes and behaviors of teen drivers that become lethal behind the wheel of a car. Impact Teen Drivers focuses on educating teens, parents, and community members about the dangers of reckless and distracted driving through evidence-based programming and materials.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. (Facts about Teen Driver Crashes, Injuries and Fatalities https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db421.htm#section_5). Teen drivers aged 16-19 are nearly three times as likely as drivers aged 20 or older to be in a fatal crash, per mile driven. Contributing factors to crashes and injures are:
• Driver inexperience
• Driving with teen passengers
• Nighttime driving
• Not using seat belts
• Distracted driving
• Drowsy driving
• Reckless driving
• Impaired driving
According to the NHSTA facts sheet, 75% of teen crashes had nothing to do with alcohol or drugs. The remaining 25% are related to alcohol or drugs. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813130
Impact Teen Drivers www.Impactteendrivers.org/Florida
Obesity Prevention Sub-Committee
To address obesity in St. Lucie County, the Network also formed an obesity prevention subcommittee consisting of school nurses, the Health Department, Children’s Home Society, and Children’s Services Council. After reviewing best practices across the nation to address obesity in children, the subcommittee selected the 5210 Let’s Go! Obesity Prevention Program as a good fit for St. Lucie County. 5210 Let’s Go! is a nationally recognized childhood obesity prevention program that partners with schools, childcare and out of school programs, healthcare practices and community organizations to change environments where children and families live, learn, work, and play. 5-2-1-0 is the foundation of the program:
5-2-1-0 is the foundation of the program:
5 – fruits and veggies
2 – hours or less of recreational screen time
1 – hour or more of physical activity
0 – sugary drinks, more water
In 2014, the subcommittee launched a successful pilot program of 5210 Let’s Go! at Miracle Prayer Temple Church in the Lincoln Park area of Fort Pierce. Moving forward, the implementation plan for 5210 is to launch the campaign in youth-serving agencies over the summer, and in child care centers and after-school programs.
Infant Mortality
