Humble Beginning

In the mid-1990s, a small team of child passenger safety professionals was tasked by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to look at the national state of child passenger safety.

The group, the Patterns for Life Team, recommended a standardized national curriculum and a national certification process for technicians. A standardized curriculum was created and AAA became the initial national certifying body. This still left a need for input from those out in the field, and a group of CPS stakeholders, including representatives from national and local organizations, vehicle and car seat manufacturers and injury prevention professionals, was pulled together.

The group was formalized and the National Child Passenger Safety Board was created in 1999. The first standardized curriculum was published in 1998. The Board currently oversees the certification curriculum and makes recommendations to both NHTSA and the certifying body, now Safe Kids Worldwide.

Through the Years

Take a walk down memory lane. As you watch this PowerPoint presentation, you will see many familiar faces as Board members dig into the work of the day and celebrate their successes. If you are a past Board member and have photos to share for future presentations, please email them to [email protected].

Standardized Child Passenger Safety Training Program

Then and Now: Curriculum history.