Children with special needs, often require special types of car seats to be safely transported. There are two basic services that Injury Prevention Services provides:

The Car Bed Distribution Program is for hospitals, NICU's and pediatric units. Car Beds are special car seats designed for medically fragile infants, who have been diagnosed with breathing or heart rate problems preventing them from being in a semi-upright position. Infants who are low-birth weight or premature should be tested by hospital staff before discharging. If an infant shows signs of stress, they may need to be transported lying flat, in a car bed.

We offer training for hospital personnel on how to develop hospital protocols for testing infants and how to use the car beds.

The Special Needs Car Seat Program is a resource to Riverside County families whose children, due to medical conditions such as a spica cast or cerebral palsy, can not use a conventional car seat. These specialized car seats can be difficult to find, and very expensive. This program funded through First 5 Riverside, Prop 10, allows Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, physicians and childcare providers to refer a child for an assessment. The assessment will be conducted with the child, parent, car seat technician, and medical staff to determine the best recommendation for a seat. The parent or caregiver can opt to loan or purchase a seat for a minimal cost of $30.00.