Newtown Woman’s Club Advocates Child ID Program For Travelers

By Dottie Evans

The acronym WHALE stands for “We Have A Little Emergency,” and its symbol is simple check mark on a sticker to be placed on the car windows of a vehicle where small children usually are passengers.

The check mark stickers placed on the side rear windows signal a rescue worker to look for further identification and information concerning the occupant, namely a small child who has been buckled into a safety seat carrier.

Assuming the child is too young to communicate effectively, the information could prove vital should something have happened to the driver, through an accident or medical emergency.

It is a program that the Newtown Woman’s Club (GFWC), Inc is sponsoring along with National WHALE Partners consisting of volunteer services and auxiliary services of the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, and General Federation of Women’s Clubs nationwide.

“We want to get the information out there as soon as possible, to help families with small children,” said Dolores Judge in a recent interview.

Ms Judge is department chairman for public affairs for the Newtown Woman’s Club, and she and club president Barbara Krausz are introducing the WHALE program to the Newtown community on behalf of the entire club as one of its community improvement programs.

“It’s all about safety and service,” said Ms Krausz as she read over the WHALE informational packet handed over by Ms Judge.

The club hopes to have brochures, sets of stickers, and the pertinent information card (including child’s name, date of birth, medical history, and emergency contacts) prominently displayed in public places throughout town by the New Year. The materials will be available free of charge.

How WHALE was launched

The WHALE car safety seat occupant identification program was started in the early 1990s by Connie Day, a child caregiver in Virginia who wondered what would happen to the children in her care in the event of a car accident. The program is now recognized and used by emergency personnel in 34 states.

“It’s a good idea to pass on WHALE information and materials to others who routinely drive your child,” notes the brochure.

In 1997, there were 5,257 children age 4 and under that were injured in automobile accidents in New York State alone, and many of these were not riding in with their parents, the brochure points out.

Instead, these small children –– buckled into their child safety seats –– may be riding with a baby-sitter, a grandparent, a caregiver, or an older sibling. In the event of an accident, information about the child should be immediately available to rescue workers and affixed to the safety seats, regardless of the condition of the driver.

In order to protect privacy, the child identification sticker is placed on the back of the car seat out of sight but where rescue workers will know to look for it. There is also a place on the ID card for a photograph of the child, but providing the photo is optional. More important would be the child’s name, emergency contacts, and pertinent medical history.

“Parents should remember to remove the sticker if the seat is sold,” Ms Judge added, “and to update the information as needed.”

“We hope to have these materials available to Newtown families right away,” she said.

Anyone wishing for further information about WHALE or the display materials should call Dolores Judge at 426-5286.