Earlier this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics published new car seat recommendations for parents in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics.

One of the biggest changes in recommendations is for children to remain in their rear-facing car seat up through age two (or the maximum height and weight limit), whereas the previous recommendations from 2002 prompted many parents to begin the switch after the child’s first birthday.

Another new recommendation is that children twelve years and younger should ride in the back seat, in addition to other recommendations involving booster seats and the heights of the children.

Pediatrician Dr. Alison Baer has produced a short video showcasing each of the recommendations, the evidence behind them, and suggestions and tips for children of all ages:

Many parents have shared stories of children frightened to not be facing forward (and therefore able to see where they are going), which can lead to either switching the child’s seat around, or at the very least, making for a loud trip with plenty of crying and screaming! At the end of the day, though, it has to be about the children and their safety. Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey actively works to end child abuse by way of evidence-based programs, and we of course must recommend that parents take the science and evidence from these exprts into account when making decisions about the safety of their children.

Like Dr. Baer says, it does not matter if it is just a short trip back home from school or the grocery store — the vast majority of accidents happen close to home, so always remember to buckle up properly!

When Cramer Elementary School in Camden announced its new name, it was clear that it just wasn’t just any three words added to the schools namesake — there was a message being sent to the school community. “Cramer College Preparatory Lab School” was renamed as such so everyone knew that these students were being prepared to be college bound. Along with a new name came new leadership as first year assistant principal, Dr. Marvin Gantt, fully understands the importance of family engagement during Cramer’s new focus of creating nothing less than educated and prepared future college students.

Though Dr. Gantt was new to the NJPIRC partnership and Action Team model, he was one of the first school administrators to reach out to us in order to get started on this year’s plan. With the help of the parent coordinator, Ms. Nilsa Cruz, they did not miss a step as they recruited new parents for the 2010-11 Action Team and scheduled the NJPIRC Refresher Training within the first two weeks of school. Shortly after their initial training, Cramer School submitted their action plan stating exactly how they would engage parents during the school year to increase student achievement. In addition to reading and math workshops to assist parents in helping their children learn, the Action Team has also planned monthly parent support workshops with topics that include “Allergy and Asthma Awareness,” “Parent Child Communication,”  and “Nutrition for Optimal Learning.”

With parents being engaged at this level, there is no doubt that the students of Cramer College Preparatory Lab School will be equipped for success at the secondary level and beyond.

We are excited about this year’s partnering schools and will be sharing the accomplishments of other partners as they continue to create a culture of family engagement to increase student achievement in New Jersey! When Parents Believe… Students Achieve!

For more information about NJPIRC partnering schools and what you can do to increase family engagement in your school, please visit www.njpirc.org.