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flORIH CAI~fllI~A <br /> <br />Infant Safety, Campaign <br /> <br /> The Cabarrus Community Child Protection Team has had a strong history for several years of <br />collaborative action to benefit children in this community. Its efforts have included the development of <br />the Children's Advocacy Center at NorthEast Medical Center, which opened in February 1999; two <br />Children's Vigils to honor children who have died in North Carolina as a result of child abuse in October <br />1998 and April 2000, and an Infant Safety Campaign started in 2001 after the tragic death of an infant. <br /> <br /> Since January 2001, the team has carried out the Infant Safety Campaign in the county and plans to <br />continue it indefinitely. Active participants have included social workers from Cabarrus Department of <br />Social Services, the Executive Director of Smart Start, three pediatricians, an early education specialist <br />from Child Care Resources Inc., three public health nurses from CHA; and the Partnership's Family <br />Education Coordinators. At all stages, the entire team has been kept informed of the campaign and has <br />provided support and suggestions. <br /> <br /> The campaign is designed to educate and influence the behavior of all families, especially high-risk <br />families, on these critical points: <br /> <br />Reduction of Infant Mortality >- Place infants in the "Back to Sleep" position <br /> >- Provide a safe place to sleep <br /> ~> Protect infants from secondhand smoke <br /> <br />Infant Health >- Keep immunizations current <br /> >- Choose a primary medical care provider and obtain well child checks <br /> >- Protect infants from secondhand smoke <br /> <br />Infant Safety >- Maintain a safe environment (no small objects, hazardous substances locked, etc.) <br /> >- Use child car seats and have them properly installed <br /> >- Provide constant supervision <br /> <br />Child Neglect Prevention >- Handle infants gently. <br /> >- Speak gently. <br /> <br />Never shake or jostle an infant <br /> <br /> A fifteen-minute video was. produced in English and Spanish, using local parents, pediatricians and <br />early education professionals, entitled, "Six Ways To Show I Love You." This video has been shown in <br />the Social Services and Health Alliance waiting rooms, in parents' homes for children receiving early <br />intervention, at teacher and parent meetings, etc. It has been shared with other programs across the state <br />and with the Division of Child Development, the NC Partnership for Children and the Healthy Start <br />Foundation. <br /> Department of Social Services <br /> 1303 South Cannon Blvd. Kannapolis, NC 28083 (704) 920-1400 <br /> <br /> <br />