A state highway safety grant pays for car and booster seats for eligible Cobb families through September 2027. Seat checks in Marietta are free by appointment.

Cobb & Douglas Public Health has won a $374,611 state grant to put more children in the right car seat. The money comes from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

It pays for child passenger safety classes and for car and booster seats for families who qualify financially in Cobb and Douglas counties. The health district announced the grant on its website Oct. 29, and Cobb County shared the release Friday.

The grant year runs from Oct. 1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2027.

What the money pays for

The work runs through Safe Kids Cobb and Safe Kids Douglas, the child injury prevention coalitions the health district leads. The grant covers:

  • car seat inspections by certified child passenger safety technicians
  • safety education for parents and caregivers
  • car and booster seats for families in need

“This important contribution will enable Safe Kids Cobb and Safe Kids Douglas to continue providing essential car seat inspections, safety education, and access to car seats for families in need,” Lisa Crossman, the district’s deputy director, said in the release.

Allen Poole, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said projects like this one aim for “the realistic goal of zero traffic deaths by the middle of this century.”

What it means for you

Seat checks are free, and anyone can book one. Safe Kids schedules inspections online in English or Spanish. A technician checks that the seat is installed correctly and fits the child. Expecting parents can bring a seat before the baby arrives.

The program’s office is at 1220 Al Bishop Drive in Marietta. Its phone line is 770-852-3285, according to the Safe Kids contact page.

A reduced-cost seat may be available. Cobb and Douglas residents who meet certain requirements may qualify, the health district said. Its child passenger safety page gives WIC, Medicaid and PeachCare as examples. Parents who want one should note the child’s age in the “Special Request” box when booking.

Tips from the program for booking:

  • Book a separate one-hour slot for each seat or each car.
  • Bring the vehicle manual and the car seat manual if you have them.
  • For a child with special needs, call 770-852-3285 instead of booking online. Technicians assess what seat the child needs and can write a letter of medical necessity for the family’s insurer.

Why it matters

Road injuries are the leading cause of preventable deaths in children, the health district says. Its safety page says 26% of children under 8 who died in crashes were not secured in the correct car seat. It also says children should ride in the back seat until they are at least 13.

Most children need a booster seat until an adult seat belt fits them, usually between ages 8 and 12, the page says. The quick test: the child’s knees bend at the edge of the seat, the lap belt sits on the hips and the shoulder belt crosses the chest, not the neck.