Vision of Safe Kids Georgia: For Georgia’s children to have a safe place to grow and play, free from accidental injuries.
The Mission of Safe Kids Georgia
Safe Kids Georgia is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to leading a statewide network in order to prevent unintentional injury, the #1 cause of death to children nineteen years and younger. We bring together private and public, state and local organizations, and individual volunteers to keep our kids safe in cars, on wheels, in water, and at home.
Our Focus Areas
Child Passenger Safety
Bike/Wheeled Sport Safety
Fire and Burn Safety
Teen driving safety
The History of Safe Kids Georgia
The City of Atlanta was among the initial ten cities targeted by the National SAFE KIDS campaign to develop an injury prevention coalition. The original organizers felt the concept should be implemented statewide and not just in the city of Atlanta thus, SAFE KIDS of Georgia had its inaugural meeting in May of 1988.
The initial lead agencies were the Governor’s Commission on Children and Youth and the Council for Children. In 1990, SAFE KIDS of Georgia became incorporated and elected its first board of directors. In 1991, Egleston Children’s Hospital became the lead agency for SAFE KIDS of Georgia and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta continues in that role today.
Safe Kids Worldwide launched new branding guidelines in 2005 which officially changed SAFE KIDS of Georgia to Safe Kids Georgia.
Safe Kids Georgia began with coalitions in DeKalb, Gwinnett, Dalton, Augusta, Savannah and Brunswick and has grown to 29 coalitions as of January 2014. We have also been the recipient of numerous national and state awards for leadership within childhood accidental injury prevention.
Safe Kids Georgia continues working to strengthen the skills and abilities of local coalitions in part by providing training and guidance in the areas of leadership, injury prevention, strategic planning, finances and, evaluation.
Together, Safe Kids Georgia and local Coalitions have proven that a willing attitude and winning spirit will make a program grow strong enough to reach its goals; rates of injury and injury deaths have fallen 46% within the last 20 years.