History

The Safe Kids movement started when two people raising awareness of trauma treatment at a children’s hospital learned there was no broad U.S. effort to address injuries, the number one killer of children. Wouldn’t it make sense, they reasoned, to try to prevent injuries before they happened?

In 1986 surgeon Martin R. Eichelberger, M.D., and Herta Feely, a public relations professional, started the National Children's Accident Prevention Campaign under Children’s National Medical Center. In 1987, Eichelberger and Feely secured funding from Johnson & Johnson (the organization's founding sponsor), and the National SAFE KIDS Campaign was officially launched in 1988 as the only U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing unintentional childhood injuries.

Network Growth

The new organization formed partnerships with influential organizations such as the National Head Injury Foundation, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Safety Council. U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, M.D., became Honorary Chair, and President Ronald Reagan signed the National Safe Kids Week proclamation in a Rose Garden ceremony.

Quickly, Safe Kids was recognized as an important force in child health and safety. In 1989, Safe Kids provided its first congressional testimony by participating in a major U.S. Senate hearing on childhood injury. Also for the first time in 1989, Safe Kids made its debut on national TV, with a segment on NBC’s Today Show.

As childhood injury prevention gained prominence, other recognition followed. In 1992, the White House spotlighted injury prevention at the annual Easter Egg Roll, and the first national childhood injury prevention conference (Safe Kids 2000) was held.

By 1995, the Safe Kids coalition network in the United States extended to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Landmark 1998 Safe Kids research, “Report to the Nation on Unintentional Childhood Injury,” showed a 26% decline in the unintentional child injury death rate over the past decade.

International Expansion

The success of grassroots Safe Kids efforts to prevent unintentional childhood injury drew attention from around the world. Representatives from 14 member countries joined in the formal launch of Safe Kids Worldwide on October 14, 2002, in Washington, D.C.

In 2004, following the development of a new strategic plan, the mission and goals of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and its more than 600 coalitions and chapters were merged with those of Safe Kids Worldwide and its 16 member countries. The most visible aspect of the unification was a new common name and brand. In 2005, following board approval, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign officially became Safe Kids Worldwide.

Moving Forward

Today Safe Kids Worldwide has 23 member countries with more than 600 local coalitions and chapters in communities across the United States.