The Springfield Safe Kids Coalition was established in 1989 under the direction of C. Les Reynolds, Founder of the Safety Council of the Ozarks. More than 600 coalitions and chapters in 49 states bring together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families.Throughout the years, the Coalition has expanded to cover almost 1/2 a million people in Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Laclede, Lawrence, Polk, Stone, Taney, and Webster counties.
Safe Kids Springfield is a member of Safe Kids USA, a nationwide network of organizations working to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability for children ages 1 to 14.
Safe Kids Springfield earned the highest coveted award from Safe Kids Worldwide with the “Coalition of the Year” award at the 2007 Leadership Conference in Washington DC in October 2007. In February 2008, the Safe Kids program changed lead agencies and moved over to St. John’s Health System, under the Trauma Services department. The Coalition’s activities focus on child passenger safety, bike/pedestrian safety, fire prevention, sports safety, water safety and other child injury prevention programs.
The mission of Safe Kids Springfield is reducing accidental injury. Accidental injury is the number one cause of death among children ages 14 and under in the United States. Also, each year one out of every four children needs medical attention for an accidental injury. Unfortunately, many of these injuries and deaths could have been prevented.
Get involved by attending a meeting. Safe Kids Springfield meets at 10am the 3rd Wednesday each month at Mercy Home Health & Hospice Care building, 1570 W. Battlefield, Suite 110, Springfield, MO 65807. Safe Kids also meets regional in outlying counties. For additional information, please call 417-820-6671. More about them when you visit the Safe Kids website. Hear the interview.
