Mary Washington Healthcare Launches New Car Seat Safety Program, Certified as a Virginia Safety Seat Check Station

Fredericksburg, VA, (January 29, 2026) – Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) has been certified as a Safety Seat Check Station by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), effective January 2026. The program was made possible after four members of the Integrated Management for the Prevention and Care of Trauma (IMPACT) Team completed the three-day Child Passenger Safety Technician Course, a collaboration of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), State Farm, and Safe Kids Worldwide.

MWHC now has four certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technicians and will collaborate with additional certified technicians from regional partners including the Rappahannock EMS Council, Stafford County Fire & Rescue, and the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office. MWHC is listed in VDH’s Safety Seat Check Station database and is pursuing a Safe Kids Worldwide Chapter with local partners. MWHC CPS technicians also received an additional endorsement as Prenatal Vehicle Safety Educators and can conduct prenatal seatbelt checks.

“Every safe ride starts with the right seat, installed the right way,” said Amy Cantwell, Trauma Education & Outreach Specialist at MWHC. “Our certification means families across the Fredericksburg region can get hands-on guidance from trained technicians — whether they are buckling in a newborn for the first time or transitioning an older child to a booster. With our community partners, we are making car seat safety easier and more accessible for every family we serve.”

Safety checks will take place at either Mary Washington or Stafford Hospitals, or a prearranged location. Appointments can be scheduled by emailing amy.cantwell@mwhc.com.

Learn more about the IMPACT Trauma Team at Trauma.mwhc.com. To learn more about car seat safety, visit MyBaby.mwhc.com.

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About Mary Washington Healthcare

Mary Washington Healthcare is a fully integrated, regional healthcare system that provides inpatient and outpatient care at more than 80 facilities including Mary Washington Hospital, a 471-bed tertiary hospital, Stafford Hospital, a 100-bed community hospital, four emergency departments, and a multi-specialty graduate medical education program. Mary Washington Healthcare is a non-profit health system with a longstanding commitment to providing care regardless of patients’ ability to pay. For more information about our services and facilities, visit mwhc.com.