Spring 2024
WHEREAS, Researchers have found that 1 out of every 10 students in California's community colleges is a parent [1] and a large majority of student parents have one or two children (nearly 80%) and over half of children who are preschool-aged or younger (53%) have children under age 6 [2];
WHEREAS, According to data gathered from the California Car Seat Laws, Car accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14 years of age while booster seats reduce the risk of serious injuries by 45% compared to seatbelts alone, 26% of children killed in an accident were not in an integrated child seat and 65% of children killed in an accident were not restrained in an age-appropriate seat [3];
WHEREAS, In the event of an emergency on a college campus, where a student parents car seat for their child/children is damaged, stolen, or non-existent and a student parent’s child/children needs to be transported by campus police, campus police should have available car seats in the event of an emergency or if a student parent is found transporting their child without a car seat; and
WHEREAS, There is a lack of safety devices on community college campuses for student parents to have access to in the event of an emergency and districts of all 116 community colleges should make an effort to purchase or seek donations of new or unused car seats; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for all campuses to acquire a minimum of three new or unused car seats (Rear-Facing Car Seat, Forward-Facing Car seat, and Booster Seat) for emergency use; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community College encourage community colleges to train their safety committee and campus police on car seat safety and invite programs to educate students on car seat safety.
WHEREAS, According to data gathered from the California Car Seat Laws, Car accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14 years of age while booster seats reduce the risk of serious injuries by 45% compared to seatbelts alone, 26% of children killed in an accident were not in an integrated child seat and 65% of children killed in an accident were not restrained in an age-appropriate seat [3];
WHEREAS, In the event of an emergency on a college campus, where a student parents car seat for their child/children is damaged, stolen, or non-existent and a student parent’s child/children needs to be transported by campus police, campus police should have available car seats in the event of an emergency or if a student parent is found transporting their child without a car seat; and
WHEREAS, There is a lack of safety devices on community college campuses for student parents to have access to in the event of an emergency and districts of all 116 community colleges should make an effort to purchase or seek donations of new or unused car seats; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for all campuses to acquire a minimum of three new or unused car seats (Rear-Facing Car Seat, Forward-Facing Car seat, and Booster Seat) for emergency use; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community College encourage community colleges to train their safety committee and campus police on car seat safety and invite programs to educate students on car seat safety.