| | | | | | | | | | Who Does What? For more than 20 years, the CPS arena has been growing and growing. There are great partnerships and collaborations as a result of this growth as we share ideas, dreams, plans and resources. So, when you have a cps-related question – who do you turn to for the answer? Let’s take a moment to review who does what. For car seat related questions/comments/concerns – contact the specific car seat manufacturer. The majority of the manufacturers have dedicated time and resources to train most (if not all) of their customer service associates. They speak CPS and can communicate with us via email, phone or video. CPS Manufacturer List For anything to do with certification and/or recertification – contact Safe Kids Worldwide Certification Program. We address issues such as: creating a technician profile, signing into your profile, registering classes, signing up for a course, cert/recert payments, audit issues, CEUs (and pre-approvals), instructor candidacy, tech proxy, entering recertification criteria into your profile, State Farm technical updates and webinars, and SKW webinar content – just to name a few. cpscert@safekids.org If you are having trouble accessing online training – first look at the website you’re on and contact that agency’s customer service (or contact email). So, if you’re on the SKW training portal – contact SKW, if you’re on any other organization’s site – contact them with access issues. Several organizations and agencies offer online training, make sure you send your questions to their contact person. For as much as we share and collaborate with each other, we don’t have access to each other’s administrative accounts. Knowing who to contact for specific issues can get you on your way! Submitted by Beth Warren, Certification Advisor, Safe Kids Worldwide. (Austin, TX) | | | | | | Going…going…soon to be GONE! Did you or someone you know take advantage of the alternative options for recertifying? WONDERFUL! Since September 2020, we have allowed CPST/I to recertify with online options: replacing in-person seat checks with extra online CEUs, earn community education credit and even replace/supplement instructor hours online. This temporary change was allowed in response to in-person classes and events cancelled in 2020 and the first part of 2021. The key word here is TEMPORARY. If you intend to use this option to complete your recertification requirements – know that it won’t last forever. While we don’t know the exact date when the option will no longer be allowed to be used for recertification – it will be going away. If you have earned alternative option credits, get them entered in your profile now while the system option is still available. Submitted by Beth Warren, Certification Advisor, Safe Kids Worldwide. (Austin, TX) | | | | | | Reconnect with fellow CPSTs and car seats to earn CEUs As cities and states continue to open, after more than a year of social distancing, this may be the perfect time to reconnect with fellow technicians and rejuvenate your CPS skills. Did you know you can earn CEUs by getting together with technicians and discussing car seats? May I suggest a lunch and learn. Have everyone bring their lunch and talk about new seats on the market. One technician can present on multiple seats or switch it up and have each technician choose a seat to highlight. Feature tips and tricks about the installation of the car seats, any features/instructions which may be different than other seats - such as the use of crotch rolls, space required/allowed while in a RF position (touching the back of the front seat), or tether use on a combination seat when used in booster mode. Not all manufacturers have the same guidance or allowances. The instruction manuals provide detailed text and illustrations on the manufacturers’ guidelines. Another fun idea is to go to an in-store update with friends. It may be a good idea to contact management and get permission first. Use this letter as a guide to request permission and to provide the establishment with documentation of your event. Retail stores will have a variety of car seats available, and the instruction manuals can easily be found online. Provide an agenda and create pre-determined questions to answer. Each person can select a seat which they have never installed, research the answers and use a document of questions to share their findings with the group. For more information about holding an in-store update including agendas and a sample certificate of attendance, log onto the CPS Board website under Toolkit: In-store Update. Please remember to follow this statement in the letter – whether you use the letter or not: “We will take care not to disrupt any customers who are shopping or offer unsolicited advice.” To earn CEUs for either CEU update scenario, one person must be the organizer and create a sign-in sheet listing the date, times, location, organizer’s name, number of CEUs awarded and a brief description of the topic(s) discussed. The technical portion of the update must be at least 45 minutes to earn 1 CEU. Unless pre-approved by Safe Kids, each participant should be provided with proof of attendance such as a copy of the sign-in sheet with the event agenda. If pre-approved, only a copy of the attendance requirement showing the event ID number must be given. Check out the FAQ on holding a structured CEU session in a retail store. Submitted by Debbie Landoskey, Quality Assurance Specialist, Safe Kids Worldwide. (Ormond Beach, Florida) | | | | Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’… I’m sure all of us have felt like this at one time or another. We plan to do something, take care of something – but time starts slippin’ away from us. The timelines we have in place for many of the Certification Program processes are there for a reason – to work with you so you have the best experience possible. Let’s look at some of these now. Scheduling a Course: 4 weeks minimum. This gives you as the lead instructor time to approve students in Controlled Courses, students have time to get various payment options set up in the system to pay the registration fee, our warehouse personnel has the time to get the technician guides set aside for you, confirm the shipping address (if needed) to create a shipping label and ship the books to you in time for your course to start. Requests for changing dates, adding students, etc., may result in no extra manuals or delayed shipment of materials. Instructor Candidate Application: 6 weeks minimum. The IC process is multi-step – the course assistant portion must be completed BEFORE sending in the completed application and paying your IC fee. The 6-week lead time allows time for the application to be reviewed (and returned if missing any part of it) and once approved, to have the Instructor Guide shipped. You will now have the time to fully prepare for your IC course experience. Preapprove CEUs: 2 weeks minimum. The preapproval form should be filled in with any supporting documentation requested/necessary to explain how the sessions meet the CEU criteria and emailed as a WORD document for review. The 2-week lead time allows for full review, and if any sessions are rejected, a corrected copy to be sent back in for event number assignment. Recertification: 2-year cycle. All CPST/I have two years to Earn, Enter, Pay – Earn six (6) CEUs, complete five (5) instructor approved seat checks, complete community education, Enter this information into your profile, and Pay the recertification fee. PLEASE enter what you earn as soon as you complete the activity because if the pandemic shutdown has taught us anything – it’s that tomorrow can change in a blink of the eye. Alternative, online options were created to assist keeping everyone certified – if you’re getting close to your recertification date, use these options and recertify before your status becomes expired. Once expired, you’ll need to take a renewal course to regain your certification as extension requests are soon to go back to B.C. (Before COVID) policy and protocol. Check your schedules, calendars, and profiles NOW to keep YOUR time from slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ away. Submitted by Beth Warren, Certification Advisor, Safe Kids Worldwide. (Austin, TX) | | | | CEU Preapproval Requests! If you are thinking about holding an in-person session or an on-line session and are not sure how CEUs apply, we are here to help and answer your questions! CEU FAQs If you would like to develop a CEU session and are unsure if it will qualify for CEUs, you can submit the Preapproval Request Form (it’s available under Resources-FAQs/Forms/Recertification), with a copy of your agenda to the Certification Program. Your application and agenda will be reviewed, and if approved, your session will be given a preapproval event number. Please submit at least 2 weeks before the event to allow adequate time for review. So, what counts towards a CEU? Presenters do not have to be a CPST/I, as long as the content of the presentation is accurate, up to date, and increases the CPS technical knowledge and skill of the CPSTs in the audience. Improving CPS technical knowledge is the core requirement for CEUs to count toward recertification. Additional information on CEUs can be found at Continuing Education Units. Examples of content that would qualify: - CR manufacturer workshops/product updates
- CPS panel at a conference
- The latest LATCH technology
- Case studies of child occupants in crashes
- Car seats and school bus safety
Examples of content that would NOT quality: - How to conduct inspections - virtual vs in-person
- Programming-related sessions
- Cultivation and retention of CPS Technicians
- How to use online resources, digital forms, etc.
- How to write a grant, using data in proposals
- Tips on how to be a better instructor/educator
Be safe and stay healthy! Submitted by Stephanie Heitsch, Certification Associate, Safe Kids Worldwide. (Port Orange, FL.) | | | | | | | | Online Courses A variety of continuing education webinars, to fulfill both the CEU requirement as well as seat check alternatives, are available online and free of charge. Learn more. Community Education webinars, which can fulfill your Community Education requirements or be used as teaching hour alternatives, are also available online at cpsboard.org. | | Notes from the National Child Passenger Safety Board A few minutes of your time can make a world of difference for a CPS Technician, Instructor or Team. Submit your nomination for the 2022 National CPS Awards today! Nominations are open until Aug. 31. Go to cpsboard.org/awards. Submitted by Jim Savage, Vice-Chairperson Elect, National Child Passenger Safety Board (Madison, WI) NCPSB Seeking Applications for Public Health/Research Field Representative Do you work in the public health or research field? Are you interested in contributing to child passenger safety at the national level? Applications are now being accepted for the NCPSB 2022-2025 Public Health/Research Field Representative from a public health or research organization that provides programming in the community or non-health care setting. Visit cpsboard.org/board-membership for more information. Applications are being accepted until July 30. Please submit questions to secretariat@cpsboard.org. Submitted by Tammy Franks, Secretariat, National Child Passenger Safety Board (Thompson, OH) | | Upcoming Safe Kids Webinars Safe Kids is now using Zoom webinars. If you are not able to use Zoom or miss one, most webinars are recorded and posted on the CPS Board website. Energy Management Emerging Trends
Thursday, July 8, 2021
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET (1 CEU)
Register Now Goodbaby International: Product Update, Winter 2021
Thursday, November 18, 2021
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET (1 CEU)
Register Now More webinars coming soon! Updates posted on Facebook. | | | | | | | For Instructors Instructor’s Corner Question of the month… Q: I’m a CPSTI and I’d like to hold a renewal course on the last day of a certification course as I’ll already have a training site secured, my training equipment on hand, and an end-of-course Skills #4 (needed for both types of courses) planned. May I do this? A: What a GREAT idea! This is a smart way to make use of your resources – HOWEVER, YOU MUST FOLLOW THESE REQUIREMENTS: - Each course must be registered individually.
- The renewal course is required to be scheduled for eight (8) hours.
- Each course must have different Lead Instructors.
- Maintain the required number of instructors (minimum two for any course) and minimum 1:5 instructor to student ratio. Bring in extra instructors for the renewal course as needed and make sure to list them on the roster.
- Members of the instructor team cannot earn hours in each course on the same day.
Each course is run as an independent course – they just happen to be sharing equipment, the training site and Skills #4 attendees. Submitted by Beth Warren, Certification Advisor, Safe Kids Worldwide. (Austin, TX) | | | | | | Questions? Comments? Concerns? Safe Kids Worldwide
CPS Certification
1255 23rd Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20037
CPScert@safekids.org
Phone: 202-875-6330 Ideas and Article Submissions Advocates and manufacturers are welcome to submit articles, or suggestions for articles, to the CPS Express! Send your ideas and submissions to cpscert@safekids.org. All submissions may be edited for content and length. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
