2026 CHNA Implementation Strategy

Parent and Caregiver Safety Education

• Firearm Safety - Continue to disseminate BeSMART safe storage educational materials and partner with the Je‡erson County Department of Public Health and the Je‡erson County Sheri‡’s Department to attend high-volume community events for the purpose of distributing gun locks and educating the community on the necessity of safe storage of firearms. While Children’s will not duplicate community violence intervention models designed primarily for older adolescents and adults, Children’s primary emphasis will continue to address firearm-related risk through pediatric safe storage education and outreach. • Children’s of Alabama leads the Safe Kids Alabama coalition to prevent unintentional injury in Alabama children under 19 years of age. The outreach education provided includes child passenger safety and other injury prevention activity in both the community and schools. • Partner with local and state organizations including the Alabama Partnership on Children, Alaquest, Childcare Resources and other entities to provide parents with best practice parenting and caregiver strategies. • Continue to work with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community A“airs (ADECA) to warn of the dangers of vehicular heatstroke • In tandem with the UAB Department of Pediatrics, continue work on the ADPH grant that formed the Tobacco Free Task Force, educating students on the dangers of smoking and vaping. • Partner with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to support safe driving education. This includes outreach to increase correct and consistent safety seat and passenger belt usage, statewide reduction in motor vehicle crash and bicycle-related injuries and deaths and providing car seat services to the public. • Research and develop content to assist parents and caregivers with concerns over social media impact on children identified in Community Health Needs assessment.

Lack of parent and caregiver safety education was a dominant response and trend across all age bands and across all forms of data instruments. Children’s will continue to address parent and caregiver safety education in the following ways:

CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA

32

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY