What you as a caregiver should expect from a Child Passenger Safety Technician?
The car seat installation experience is an interactive one. You should leave confident that your child's seat is installed correctly AND that you are comfortable reinstalling and using it correctly. To ensure that you have the best experience you should prepare for an education.
- If expecting, schedule an appointment 1 to 2 months prior to Mom's due date. Many Technicians and their agencies require appointments several weeks in advance and some moms deliver early.
- If your child is already born, know your child's weight and height
- If your child is already born, bring your child with you. If possible, also bring another adult to help watch the child while you are learning.
- Using the Child Car Seat Instructions, install the seat into your vehicle prior to your appointment.
- Look up "Child Safety Seats" in your Vehicle Owner's Manual. You will learn how a child's car seat should be installed in YOUR car. The Car Seat Manual may not reference the requirements specific to your vehicle.
- Bring the Car Seat Instructions AND the Vehicle Owner's Manual with you to your appointment!
- Be prepared to learn! Remember, the technician is there to guide you through the installation process, so you feel confident doing it yourself! They're trained to teach not just install.
This one-on-one education typically takes 20-30 minutes, depending on the car seat and the vehicle. The Technician will take all the time necessary to ensure that you feel competent and confident in re-securing the car seat into the vehicle and re-buckling your child into the car seat on your own.