Florida Suncoast SAFE KIDS Coalition

The goal of the Florida Suncoast Safe Kids Coalition, sponsored by All Children's Hospital, is to fight the unintentional injury of children. Unintentional injury remains the leading cause of death among children in the United States. In 2000, 5,686 children 14 years and under died of unintentional injuries. In addition, almost 120,000 children are permanently disabled annually. One out of four children, or more than 14 million children younger than 14, sustain injuries that are serious enough to require medical attention yearly. These injuries pose financial, emotional and social effects for not only child and family but also the community and society as a whole.

The Florida Suncoast Safe Kids Coalition is part of Safe Kids Worldwide. It is one of more than 300 local and state coalitions and chapters within the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Since its inception, the Suncoast Safe Kids Coalition has grown to more than 250 members representing more the 100 organizations in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Polk and Pasco counties.

The Coalition consists of child advocates from every sector of the community: education, law enforcement, fire/rescue, private industry, public health, health care, social services, parents and volunteer service groups. The Coalition addresses the greatest injury risk areas for children 0 - 14 years: motor vehicle injury, bicycle and pedestrian injury, drowning, and other injuries in the home, school and community. Safe Kids members are dedicated to the Safe Kids Worldwide goals of that include:

• Raising awareness that injuries are the leading health threat facing children today;

• Building a long-term grassroots coalition to implement childhood injury prevention strategies;

• Stimulating changes in child and adult behavior, products and the environment to reduce the incidence of childhood injury;

• Making childhood injury a public policy priority for federal, state and local policy makers;

• Focusing attention and designing injury prevention strategies for children of families who are at highest risk for injuries.

For more information about the Florida Suncoast Safe Kids Coalition, call 800-756-SAFE.

All Children's Hospital
501 6th Ave South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 898-7451
(800) 456-4543