2021 National CPS Awards

Technician of the Year

Bailey Bakouris

In a time of need, Bailey Bakouris stepped up to ensure the Kyle Fire Department’s child passenger safety program remained Texas-strong.

Bakouris was quick to jump in and fill a leadership role when the department’s coordinator stepped down. Even though she was a relatively new Technician at the time of this transition, she was able to seamlessly manage and promote the program and keep the Kyle Fire Department’s monthly car seat check schedule on track. The department partners with Dell Children’s Medical Center through its Kids in Cars program.

She encouraged three firefighters to become trained as Technicians. In addition, she fielded calls and worked in a virtual environment to assist parents and caregivers during the pandemic. For her efforts, Bakouris is recognized as the recipient of the Child Passenger Safety Technician of the Year Award presented by the National Child Passenger Safety Board. The award is sponsored by Toyota Motor North America.

To learn more about Bailey and her dedication to child passenger safety, download the Technician of the Year press release.

U.S. Instructor of the Year

Sidney Bradley

In Vermont, the people are hearty, in part because of the weather. They learn to be strong because they cope with the elements – rain, sleet, ice, snow – almost every day. Sidney Bradley is strong in a kind-hearted way that sets him apart from the crowd.

In his role as the state’s child passenger safety coordinator, he has worked to ensure 94% of residential buildings in Vermont are within a 30-minute drive of a public car seat inspection station, many of these housed in police, fire, hospital and EMS locations and staffed predominantly by volunteers. He oversees a broad-based training program that has produced 200 Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technicians, 13 Technician Proxies and 11 Instructors.

He does it because he cares about the safety of children. He does it his way. Sid was one of the first to fully implement the National Digital Car Seat Check Form, and he is now using the data at his fingertips to inform decisions such as supplying car seats to inspection stations so they can go to families in need and to improve the training he oversees. He publishes a newsletter to keep Technicians informed about the latest CPS happenings. He manages the Vermont Be Seat Smart website, which is a resource for parents, caregivers and Technicians.

Bradley is recognized for his efforts over the last eight years as the U.S. Child Passenger Safety Instructor of Year by the National Child Passenger Safety Board. The award is sponsored by Toyota Motor North America.

To learn more about Sidney and his dedication to child passenger safety, download the U.S. Instructor of the Year press release.

International Instructor of the Year

Jchanet Tan

Presented with a place to stand and a cause to believe in, Jchanet Tan set out to shake the earth and shift the culture in Malaysia. Her journey to the passage of the first child passenger safety legislation in her country started more than five years ago.

Babies were riding on their mother’s laps in the front seat of vehicles. Overloaded vans carried unbelted children to school. Images of deadly collisions were depicted regularly in the media. In January 2020, Jchanet’s determination to make a difference came to fruition when the Parliament of Malaysia passed the country’s first child passenger safety law.

Tan is recognized for her efforts as the International Child Passenger Safety Instructor of the Year by the National Child Passenger Safety Board. The award is sponsored by Toyota Motor North America.

To learn more about Jchanet and her dedication to child passenger safety, download the International Instructor of the Year press release.

Team of the Year

Northern New Jersey Safe Kids/Safe Communities

Like so many others across the country, Northern New Jersey Safe Kids/Safe Communites team members found safety solutions by tapping into a creative thinking mindset during the pandemic.

Team members offered virtual car seat checks by appointment. They provided free car seats and installation education as part of a new child passenger training program for local agencies reaching under-served populations. They pulled together under the leadership of Karen Jean (K.J.) Feury, coalition coordinator, nurse practitioner and injury prevention specialist at Morristown Medical Hospital.

Feury works with her colleagues to ensure family services are provided in communities across a three-county region. She also works to ensure a team of 26 Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technicians and Instructors stays on top of its game, no matter the environment, by organizing continuing education opportunities. In September, the coalition staged a socially distanced National Child Passenger Safety Technician Certification Training course, the first of its kind in New Jersey following the implementation of pandemic restrictions.

One telltale sign K.J. and her fellow CPS advocates are succeeding: positive feedback. They regularly receive comments such as this from people they’ve touched: “I came for an installation, but I got an education.”

Those words speak to the reasoning behind the selection of Northern New Jersey Safe Kids/Safe Communities as the Child Passenger Safety Team of the Year by the National Child Passenger Safety Board. The award is sponsored by Toyota Motor North America.

To learn more about Northern New Jersey Safe Kids/Safe Communities and its collective dedication to child passenger safety, download the Team of the Year press release.

2021 National CPS Awards

Watch this virtual presentation: Award recipients were recognized during a virtual session at the Lifesavers Conference.

Download and share: Here is the full list of 2021 CPS Awards winners and nominees.

Sponsors

The 2021 National CPS Awards are presented by the National Child Passenger Safety Board and sponsored by Toyota Motor North America. For more information about Toyota, visit  https://www.toyota.com/usa/