JUST IN: New heading on the CPS Certification Web site: Recertification 07.
- Announcements and Notices
- Opinion survey: Online test VS CEUs
- Recertification 2007 Update
- Program Reminders
- Recertification 2006
- Recertification 2007
- Customer Service Survey
- Upcoming Program Developments
- REMINDER: Renewal Course on Vacation
- Just for Instructors
- Nursing credits
- Exam administration reminder
- CEU Corner
- New CEU session online calendar
- Just for Fun
- CPS Resources
- Ask the manufacturer
- Share Your Knowledge!
- Promoting recertification in Wyoming
- FAQ
- Sitting in on a CPS Certification or Renewal course
- Contact Us
Opinion Survey
Only a few hundred responses so far...please share your opinion! Which do you prefer: online test or CEUs?
*** Please take a very short survey. ***
Recertification 2007 update
Flow Chart (click here)
Category #5: Newsletters/Manuals/Journals
- The LATCH manual quiz is now available at Safe Ride News.
- May be applied for one CEU maximum
- The child restraint manufacturer instructions quiz is now available at SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.
- May be applied for one CEU maximum
The Policies and Procedures and Web site have been updated to include all the information on recertifying in 2007, including seat checks and CEUs.
A personal 2007 recertification log is available
Registration for recertification will not be available in January 2007
Due to the programming requirements of moving to a new process, users will not be able to access or enter recertification information in January.
All technicians with an expiration date in January or February will automatically get a two month extension. Examples:
- If my expiration date is 1/13/2007, it will be automatically changed to 3/13/2007.
- If my expiration date is 2/25/2007, it will be automatically changed to 4/25/2007.
These technicians remain eligible for the one-page extension request.
We appreciate your understanding as we make the transition to the new system. Please plan accordingly.
Email Solicitation
Recently you may have received an e-mail solicitation implying that Safe Kids Worldwide supports its efforts and/or its product. Safe Kids, in accordance with our published privacy policies, did not provide this vendor, or any other, with your contact information.
While Safe Kids cannot prevent people or companies from copying/pasting published contact information to create distribution lists, we are actively protecting your information from automated data mining software.
We appreciate your understanding.
2006 Recertification Reminder
Don’t Risk Your Certification—You may recertify up to four months before your certification expiration date.
- Seat checks may be logged at any time during your certification cycle and must be approved before you can register for recertification.
- You may complete registration up to four months in advance of your certification expiration date. Registration must be completed by your certification expiration date.
Once your recertification registration is processed, you will have 30 days to complete the online exam. The test does not have to be completed by your certification expiration date.
If your test is never started, is inadvertently submitted or is incomplete when the 30-day limit expires, it will be graded and you won’t get your money refunded.
2007 Recertification Reminder
** Click here to view the September 8 CPS Express
CEU Special Edition **
You may recertify up to four months before your certification expiration date.
- Seat checks may be logged at any time during your certification cycle and must be approved before you can register for recertification.
- You may complete registration up to four months in advance of your certification expiration date. Registration must be completed by your certification expiration date.
Basic re-certification requirements and deadlines
- Five seat checks approved by a certified instructor (may use technician proxy option). These may be done at any time during your certification cycle as long as they are entered online and approved before your recertification date.
- Community Education (choose one):
- Participate in at least one two-hour check up event with at least one other CPS Technician at which you serve families using any standardized checklist to provide documentation, if needed.
- Provide at least four hours of community education. Examples include presenting to parents, educators, kids, organizations (PTAs, law enforcement) or other stakeholders who are not technicians.
- A minimum of six hours of CPS technical continuing education units must be earned and reported during a current certification cycle (two years). You cannot "carry-over" CEUS from one period to the next, even if more have accumulated more CEUs than are required. Once the programming is complete in January, CEUs may be entered at any time during your certification cycle and must fit into one of the five approved categories and meet content requirements.
- Register and pay fee by the end of the certification expiration date.
Once your registration is complete, your recertification will be processed in 2-4 days.
CPS Customer Service Survey Available
Safe Kids is interested in your experiences with our CPS Customer Service by toll-free phone (877-366-8154) and cps.certification@safekids.org. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey available on the certification Web site under Contact Us.
This 20-question survey should take no more than five minutes to complete. There is no limit to the number of times you can share your opinions with us. Thank you for helping us improve our customer service.
REMINDER: Renewal Course Going on Vacation in 2007
(originally posted in August 1, 2006 CPS Express)
If you or someone you know may be interested in taking advantage of this course, do not delay! There will be a period of time when the renewal course will not be available in 2007.
Since NHTSA is planning to update the Renewal Course to reflect the changes in the new course curriculum, it is only on hiatus and not permanently gone.
Renewal Courses will not be available after December 31, 2006 until the new Renewal Course materials are available.
Reward the nurses in your certification course
Don't forget that nurses may get continuing education credits for participating in a national CPS certification course.
In order for nurses to receive the credits, the Lead Instructor or Course Administrator must register the course through the Emergency Nurses Association by completing and submitting one CPS Class Request Form for the course and a Instructor Biographical Data Form for each instructor. These must be submitted at least two weeks before the course.
These short forms are also available on the certification Web site under Resources>FORMS>COURSE ADMINISTRATION.
Exam Grading: A reminder
Under no circumstances should the student exam answer sheets be modified by any student, member of the instructor team or other person. Once the exam answer sheet is turned in, it is not to be returned to the student. Such an incident will result in sanctioning.
Any instructor who knowingly allows a test to be altered and does not take immediate action is at risk of being sanctioned for collusion.
The exam administration instructions are available on our Web site under Resources> FORMS.
New Certification Course Welcome Materials
As you open up your course materials you will find an extra envelope with various signs and promotional materials courtesy of the CPS Certification program sponsor State Farm®.
Materials include: stickers for students to place on their new manuals, two welcome to class signs, one welcome table top display and a plastic tablecloth.
On behalf of State Farm® and Safe Kids, thank you for being part of the CPS instructor team!
This section of the newsletter will share available national CEU opportunities. We are not able to include information on state or local conferences, trainings or other technical updates.
This information is provided as resource only. Events and activities listed here are not endorsed by Safe Kids Worldwide unless otherwise noted.
SUBMISSIONS: Please email the required information (below) to Kerry Chausmer. We are especially interested in any online offerings.
Nationwide Continuing Education Web Page
Child Passenger Safety Team Colorado is very pleased to announce the availability of the Nationwide Continuing Education Web Page. The calendar is accessible and available to anyone interested in viewing and/or posting continuing education activities.
CPS Team Colorado has been a very strong advocate of supporting nationally certified technicians and instructors with accessible continuing education. With the understanding that the CPS field is so rapidly changing in technology, direction and concepts but most of our daily obligations significantly limit the amount of time available to keep up with the never-ending changes, our State CPS Program is very pleased to offer an “Internet Hub” where technicians and instructors can find locations close to home and nationwide to network, further their knowledge and hone their skills.
To access the calendar:
- http://www.carseatscolorado.com/
- Click on “Training Opportunities”
- Click on “Continuing Education for Certified Technicians"
- On the drop down menu, please select “CEU Sessions Nationwide Listing”
To submit CEU Sessions for posting to the calendar, send your request to via email to vfullaway@comcast.net.
Your request must include:
- Contact Name
- Contact Telephone Number
- Contact Email Address
- Session Location
- Hosting Agency/Organization Name
- Address including street, city, state, zip code
- If classroom setting, pleas e provide a physical address
- If Teleconference, please provide the address where the teleconference will originate
- Cost to participants
- Session Type (workshop, class, conference, teleconference, etc.)
- How many hours of CEUs will be awarded to each participant
- Safe Kids Pre-Approval Number
- How to register for session
- Date(s) and Times (beginning and ending times) of Session
- Multiple dates and times may be submitted if the sessions will be at the same location
- If multiple dates are being submitted for sessions at different locations, please provide separate submissions.
- [OPTIONAL] Additional information and/or comments
Facilitator/provider: NHTSA
Topic: To be announced
Format: Conference calls
Date/Time: To be determined
Fees/Requirements: None
For more information: To be announced
Are You A CPS Nerd? Test Your Knowledge!
This section of the newsletter highlights trivia and facts about child passenger safety.
Please submit your ideas to Kerry Chausmer. Be sure to include how you would like your name to appear.
What is wrong with this picture?
Answer at the end of this newsletter.
Submitted by Courtney Barry,
Go to the Source
Do you have a question about a child restraint? Go directly to the source to get the best information.
A list of child restraint manufacturers is available on our Web site under RESOURCES> Technical Resources.
Spreading the Word about Recert 2007
As the state CPS training contact for
We feel that this will be a better indicator of the quality of work the technicians have and result in better education to the parents/caregivers. Like other states, we have lost several certified technicians as a result of confusion about the recertification process in the past.
This system will allow us to maintain more of our technicians. To support the efforts of Safe Kids (like this e-mail newsletter) to share information about the upcoming changes, we included a two-page set of tips in our newsletter. Others are welcome to use it.
Thank you to you and to all those involved in this change and keep up the good work.
Submitted by Stephanie Heitsch, Safe Kids
Other Recert 07 tools available at www.safekids.org/certification:
- Recertification 2007 Flow Chart
- Personal Recertification Log
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a CEU?
- My certification expiration date is in the beginning of 2007. I won’t have the CEUs needed in time. What are my options?
- What if the CPS technical session I attend is only 50 minutes?
- Why don’t check up events count toward CEUs?
- Can a workshop I attended last year count?
- What if I go to a retailer with another tech and look at the new seats?
- What are some acceptable and unacceptable CPS CEU content?
What do I need to do to "sit in" on a course for CEUs?
Any currently certified technician can sit in on a course. Every two hours in the classroom (not outside practicing skill) counts 1 CEU toward recertification. The minimum number of hours sitting in is two since partial CEU credits may not be included or combined with other CEU categories.
CEU options include: Sit in on 2 or 3 hours of a course (1 CEU); sit in on 4 or 5 hours of a course (2 CEUs); sit in on 6 or more hours of a course (3 CEUs). Because it is an instructor's responsibility to know the course material, those who have not yet taught a specific type of course (new curriculum) may sit in on that course for CEU’s. They can't sit in this if they are on the instructor team.
You must get permission from the lead instructor before the course starts. Showing up is not acceptable as the lead instructor has complete discretion to grant or deny technicians permission to sit in and may limit their participation.
Optional forms (also available on the Web site):
- LEAD INSTRUCTOR: CPS Verification Log for Observing a Certification or Renewal Course
- PARTICIPANT: CPS Log for Observing a Certification or Renewal Course
I hurt my back and can't install seats. How do I stay certified?
The role of a car seat technician is to be an educator first and foremost. At an event, the last person installing that seat should be the parent or caregiver. If we install the seat for them, are they learning anything? A good technician should be able to talk a parent through the installation process without touching the seat. By doing that, you are giving caregivers the confidence and knowledge to install the seat by themselves. (You are also helping to reduce the liability for your technicians.)
When you need to get your seat checks verified for recertification, an instructor can listen and watch as you work with parents to guide them through the installation process. If a parent is not available and you are doing a mock seat check, you can have somebody play the role of the parent.
As an instructor, would you refuse to let in a student in a wheelchair? When testing students in CPS technician class, there is no rule against having a student coach an instructor, parent or layperson on the proper installation of a seat. A technician should be able to instruct parents properly without even setting foot in the vehicle. Think of all of the times you have spotted installation errors just by looking in the window.
The next time you are at an event, practice your teaching skills and make the parent or caregiver do the actual installation. Do your next seat check without getting in the vehicle and you will strengthen your communication skills while empowering the parent or caregiver.
This van arrived at a seat check and the middle seats had been replaced with seats that had LATCH. But the vehicle did not have LATCH and was therefore not tested with LATCH equipped seats. The new seats were obvious replacements because they were leather. We had to install the CRS using the safety belt.
Submitted by Courtney Barry, Lancaster County Safe Kids Coalition (Lancaster, PA)
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Safe Kids Worldwide
CPS Certification
1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004
Phone: 877-366-8154 (toll free)
Fax: 202-393-2072
cps.certification@safekids.org