Bayou Life Magazine | Teen dating violence (TDV) is a type of intimate partner violence. It occurs between two people in a close relationship. Tenn dating violence, as referred to as "dating violence," can take place in person or electronically, such as repeated texting or posting sexual pictures of a partner online without consent. Unhealthy relationships can start early and last a lifetime. Teens often think some behaviors, like teasing and name-calling, are a "normal" part of a relationship - but these behaviors can become abusive and develop into serious forms of violence. However, many teens do not report unhealthy behaviors because they are afraid to tell family and friends. 

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Richland Today | ​The Children’s Coalition is making childcare openings available in Richland Parish for children ages birth to three whose families meet eligibility requirements. 

Parents are faced with countless challenges because of the current pandemic, accessing quality child care should not be one of them.

Parents must meet an income requirement as well as provide required documentation when applying, and can apply directly to Little Feathers Daycare in Rayville or Tender Touch Nursery II in Mangham.

According to the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, two out of three children ages birth to five in Louisiana have both parents or their single parent in the workforce. Increased access to reliable, quality early care and education is necessary to ensure long term economic recovery and the Children’s Coalition is here to help.

​To have questions answered or gain assistance in applying, please contact the Children’s Coalition office at 318-323-8775, visit childrenscoalition.org or email Theresa at [email protected](link sends e-mail).

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) primary goal for child passenger safety is to make sure all parents and caregivers are correctly using the right car seats (rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, and/or booster seats) or seat belts for their children’s ages and sizes.
 
During Child Passenger Safety Week, being held September 20-26, 2020, many communities will have certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians on hand to provide free education on how to use car seats, booster seats, and seat belts. Technicians will help educate consumers about choosing the right car seat for a child, installing that seat correctly in their vehicle, and using that seat correctly every time. They can also discuss the importance of registering that car seat with its manufacturer, and what to expect if the seat is subject to a safety recall. The week concludes with National Seat Check Saturday on September 26, when certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians across the country will be available at car seat safety check events to offer advice and instruction to parents and caregivers.
 
KEY STATISTICS
Lives lost and injuries

• Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children.
• Every 32 seconds in 2018, one child under the age of 13 in a passenger vehicle was involved in a crash.
• From 2014 to 2018, there were 3,315 children under 13 killed while riding in passenger vehicles. Fatalities decreased from 2017 to 2018, a continuation of the 2016-2017 fatality decrease, which marked the first decrease since 2014.
• On average, nearly two children under 13 were killed every day in 2018 while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans.
• From 2014 to 2018, there were 1,158 “tweens” (8 to 12 years old) killed in passenger vehicles. 
• In 2018, the 8-to-12 age group had the highest number of fatalities (222) among children in passenger vehicles. In 2017, the <1-to-3 age group had the highest number of fatalities at 249, or 37%, with a decrease to 219 (35%) in 2018.
• In 2018, approximately one-third (33%) of children under 13 killed in passenger vehicles were not restrained in car seats, booster seats, or seat belts.
• Of the children under 13 involved in crashes in 2018, an estimated 14% were injured.
• From 2017 to 2018, the number of children under 13 injured in a crash remained steady.
• Statistically, more crashes occur during “school hours” (during the day, Monday through Friday).

 
Car seats, booster seats, and seat belts save lives

• In 2017, among children under 5, car seats saved an estimated 312 lives. A total of 371 children could have survived if they had been buckled up 100% of the time.

 
Car seats work best when used correctly

• In passenger cars, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers. For infants and toddlers in light trucks, the corresponding reductions were 58% and 59%, respectively.
• Most parents are confident that they have correctly installed their child’s car seat, but in most cases (59%), the seat has not been installed correctly.
• According to NHTSA data, in 2015, about 25.8% of children 4 to 7 were prematurely moved to seat belts, when they should have been riding in booster seats.

 
Child passenger safety laws

• For the past 30 years, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories have had laws requiring children to be secured in the appropriate car seats or booster seats for their ages and sizes while riding in cars.
• States now require children to ride in appropriate car seats or booster seats until as old as age 9.

 
Remember

• Remember to read and carefully follow the installation instructions included with a car seat, as well as the vehicle owner's manual. Failure to do this can lead to incorrect installation, exposing a child passenger to the risk of injury or death in a crash.
• All children under 13 should always ride in the back seat.
• Tethers should always be used for forward-facing car seats.

 
For the purpose of this information, the following terms and definitions are used:

• “Children killed/injured in car crashes” are defined as passenger car, van, pickup, and SUV passengers under 13 years old killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes; and
• “Tweens killed in car crashes” are defined as passenger car, van, pickup, and SUV passengers 8 to 12 years old killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes.