Maternal & Child Health

Infant Safety Classes | Child Safety Car Seat Program | Blue Ridge Safe Sleep Crib Program | Infant Feeding Resources | Improving Pregnancy Outcome (IPO) Workgroup

Infant Safety Classes

What: 
Free in-person comprehensive Infant Safety Class. Pre-registration is required. Topics to be covered include:

  • Safe medication storage
  • Choking hazard prevention
  • Room-by-room home baby proofing
  • American Heart Association (AHA) Friends & Family CPR (non-certification)
  • Local and national resources

4/5 Infant Safety Class Flyer 

For Whom: 
These services are open to any new or expecting parents, grandparents, family members, or others who may be caring for newborns in our Health District.

Fees: 
None.

When: 
Saturday, April 5, 2025 from 10 AM – 12 PM

Where: 
Prindle Conference Room within the Charlottesville/Albemarle Health Department (1138 Rose Hill Dr., Charlottesville, VA). Enter through Door #3. 

Registration: 
Fill out this form to pre-register and save your spot. 

For any questions, contact Maternal and Child Health Program Coordinator Diane Sampson at Diane.Sampson@vdh.virginia.gov.

Child Safety Car Seat Program

What
Free car seats available to families who qualify. To receive a car seat, applicants attend a short class to learn the correct placement and use of the car seat.

For Whom
To apply, applicants must be:

  • Eligible for Medicaid ,WIC, FAMIS or qualify by income
  • Resident of Charlottesville, Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, or Nelson
  • Legal residents of Virginia
  • If pregnant, in the last three months of pregnancy 
  • Parent, legal guardian or foster parent 

Complete the application below and return to your local health department.

Application in English | Application in Spanish

Fees
None

When

Yancey Community Health Center: Thursday, March 27 from 2:00 to 4:30 PM 

Registration
Registration is required. To reserve your car or booster seat, call the Community Health Worker (CHW) for your nearest health department listed above.

Call
For general questions or more information about the Child Safety Car Seat Program, call MCH Coordinator Diane Sampson at 434-972-6241.

Links
For more information about child passenger safety, Virginia laws and other resources:
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/child-passenger-safety/

Short videos from Children’s Hospital  of Philadelphia review seat installation tips and safety for rear facing, forward facing and booster car seats.
English: Car Seat and Child Passenger Safety Videos | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Spanish: https://www.chop.edu/video/car-seat-and-child-passenger-safety-videos-spanish

Safe Kid’s Ultimate Car Seat Guide – In English and Spanish
Use your child’s date of birth or due date and weight to learn about choosing and installing the right type of  car seat.
https://ucsg.safekids.org/

For detailed information about car seat safety, recalls and age related information:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Car Seat Safety Tips | Safe Kids Worldwide

Blue Ridge Safe Sleep Crib Program

What
The Blue Ridge Safe Sleep Program is a community effort to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of safe sleep in the prevention of SIDS and SUID. A limited number of cribs are available by agency referral to households meeting income guidelines.

Cribettes are for babies under 6 months and weighing 30 pounds or less. The cribette has a bassinet attachment for babies under 15 pounds.

Eligibility

  • Be a parent, legal guardian, or foster parent of a child under the age of 6 months
  • A resident of Charlottesville/Albemarle, Louisa, Greene, Nelson, or Fluvanna
  • Financially eligible or participating in Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, SSI or TANF 
  • Apply through a referring agency or through your local health department
  • Available for review of safe sleep guidelines and crib safety education session

Fees
None

Registration
Registration is required. To reserve your crib, call the Community Health Worker (CHW) for your nearest health department listed above.

Call
For general questions or more information about the Safe Sleep Program, call MCH Coordinator Diane Sampson at 434-972-6241.

Safe Sleep Links 

For parents:  The Safe Sleep Academy from Cribs for Kids has short videos on a range of sleep topics, including baby safety and what to expect from your baby’s ages and stages.
https://www.safesleepacademy.org/

For parents and providers:  Learn more about SIDS/SUID, access free patient education materials in a variety of languages and formats.
https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/
Safe Sleep Virginia

For information on recalls of cribs, baby seats and other infant care items:
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Infant Feeding Resources

This new downloadable resource sheet provides a variety of local lactation clinics, support groups, and trusted resources to support your family’s feeding journey. Contact information for local programs is provided, as well as links to trusted professional sites like Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Virginia Loves Breastfeeding, La Leche League International, and more!
 
Downloadable Handout: 

Improving Pregnancy Outcome (IPO) Workgroup

Community coalition coordinating efforts to reduce infant mortality/morbidity and associated racial disparities in the greater-Charlottesville area.

Past community collaborative projects include:

  • Baby Basics Community Education through a March of Dimes Grant
  • Creation of a Perinatal Resource Guide
  • Postpartum Depression and Anxiety training sessions for area perinatal professionals

Meetings are held quarterly via Zoom.

For more information or to join us contact Diane Sampson (diane.sampson@vdh.virginia.gov) or call 434-972-6241.

Links:
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/vdhlivewell/maternal-and-child-health-services-title-v-block-grant/

Listening to the Living project team is charged with developing local action plans to address racial disparity in maternal health and birth outcomes.
https://www.listeningtotheliving.org/

 

Last Updated: March 25, 2025