The California legislature passed a bill in 1992 (Chapter 1316, Statutes of 1992) for the sale of Kids' Plates specialized vehicle license plates and the creation of the Child Health and Safety Fund (CHSF) (#0279), currently administered by the California Department of Social Services. Revenue from the sale and renewal of Kids' Plates, which contain an embossed heart, hand, star, or plus sign, goes into the CHSF and is used to support three significant child health and safety issues in California: 1) unintentional childhood injuries; 2) child abuse; and 3) childcare licensing and inspection.

The CDPH Injury and Violence Prevention Branch (IVPB) Unintentional Injury Policy and Program Section oversees and administers an amount annually appropriated from the CHSF dedicated to preventing unintentional childhood injuries. IVPB provides Kids' Plates Program funding to local entities to support and encourage the use of best practices to address this devastating public health issue. For a report on appropriations received, expenditures made, and awards, view the Kids' Plates Report FY 2014-2019 (PDF), Kids' Plates Report FY 2019-2021 (PDF), Kids Plates Report FY 2021-2023 (PDF), or contact kidsplates@cdph.ca.gov.

Since 1998, IVPB has made over 800 awards throughout California to reduce or eliminate unintentional injuries in children and youth, focusing on areas such as:

• Vehicular safety, including restraint, warnings, and education programs;

• Drowning prevention;

• Playground safety standards;

• Pedestrian safety;
  

• Bicycle safety;

• Gun safety;

• Fire safety;
  

• Poison control and safety;

• In-home safety;

• Sleep suffocation and sudden infant death syndrome;

• Children left in parked cars and children run over by cars moving forward or backward; and

• Sports-related concussions, heat stroke, and spinal injury safety. 
  

2021-2023 Awards

In June 2021, IVPB released a Request for Applications (RFA) under the Kids' Plates Program to support childhood unintentional injury prevention programs to address local prevention activities and efforts. The list of criteria considered by CDPH in program planning for this funding cycle included:

• Partnerships with local agencies addressing childhood unintentional injury prevention issues;

• Ability to reach the target populations, such as parents/caregivers, children, partnering organizations, and the general public;

• Ability to address economic and racial inequity/inequality;
  

• Ability to track and utilize data in problem identification and program planning;

• Ability to use funding to leverage additional support for outcomes;

• Administrative capacity to implement the contract and project, including fiscal responsibility, invoicing, staffing, and reporting; and,
  

• History of implementing childhood injury prevention programs.
  

Organizations were required to select two core objectives, and either one (Tier 1 $50,000/year) or two (Tier 2 $75,000/year) optional objectives based on their tier of funding. The required objectives included:

• Implement Unintentional Injury Prevention Program Intervention

• Implement Promotion of the Kids' Plates License Plates Program
  
  

The optional objectives included:

• Conduct Unintentional Injury Prevention Trainings

• Develop and Promote Local Unintentional Injury Prevention Policies and Procedures

• Promote Collaboration

• Promote Public Education and Awareness

• Provide Unintentional Injury Prevention Safety Equipment and Targeted Education

  
  

Due to the high demand and the limited amount of funding available, entities that previously received Kids' Plates funding in FY 2018-2020 were not eligible to apply for funding for FY 2021-2023 cycle.

Seven organizations were awarded funding based on their ability to successfully address several core program elements to better resolve the injury topics most relevant to their community.

2020-2021 Awards

In June 2021, child safety equipment awards were made through a Request for Applications (RFA) released in May 2021. 

The list of criteria considered by CDPH in program planning for this funding cycle included:

1. data analysis to describe and compare the burden of injury (e.g. number of deaths, the rate and severity of injuries, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits);

2. the amount of available funding;

3. the potential reach and impact of equipment distribution;

4. input from childhood injury prevention experts;

5. the ability of applicants to deliver education in a cost-effective manner; and

6. the ability of applicants to measure and achieve outcomes of education and equipment distribution in the required timeframe.
   
   

 The goal of this RFA was to accomplish the following:

• Promote the proper use of child passenger safety seats and support the California law requiring children to be secured in rear-facing car seats until the age of two;

• Promote helmet use during such activities as bicycling or skateboarding;

• Disseminate these safety equipment items at no-cost for the benefit of California children up to age 18 from low income families.
  
  

The Kids' Plates Program awarded child safety equipment to 59 local non-profit organizations throughout California. Kids' Plates distributed 1,802 child safety seats, and 6,008 multi-sport helmets. Email kidsplates@cdph.ca.gov for a list of the 2021 awardees.

• Vehicular safety, including restraint, warnings, and education programs;

• Drowning prevention;

• Playground safety standards;
  

• Pedestrian safety;

• Bicycle safety;

• Gun safety;

• Fire safety;

• Poison control and safety;

• In-home safety;

• Sleep suffocation and sudden infant death syndrome;
  

• Children left in parked cars and children run over by cars moving forward or backward; and

• Sports-related concussions, heat stroke, and spinal injury safety.