The Effingham County Health Department and Georgia State Patrol will hold a Give Kids a Boost community event Jan. 18 from 3-5 p.m. in the parking lot of Lowe’s in Rincon. Booster seats will be given, at no cost, to income-eligible participants including those enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, PeachCare, or Medicaid, who can provide proof of eligibility.

A limited number of booster seats will be available and children in need of seats must accompany parents. Parents who have car seats are encouraged to stop by to have their seats checked for proper installation.

Give Kids a Boost is a statewide partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), the Georgia State Patrol and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to educate parents on Georgia’s car seat and booster seat law. A new state law went into effect in July 2011 that requires children under age eight to be properly secured in an approved car seat or booster seat.

The new law brings Georgia in line with the age recommendations of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Georgia is one of 47 states that require booster seats or other appropriate devices for children who have outgrown their car seats but are still too small to use an adult seat belt safely.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children 3-14 years old. Children are protected when parents correctly install a car seat that is appropriate for a child’s height, weight and age.

Funding support for 80 percent of this project is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Injury Response, Core II and the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

For more information, call 754-6850.