Car Seats

Car Seat Installation

Schedule an Appointment Online Now!

Outagamie County has Certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technicians right on staff. We hold a fitting station for educating families on how to properly install their car seat on the 3rd Thursday of every month at the Grand Chute Fire Department. These fitting stations are by appointment only.

OCPH CPS technicians will also help you install your car seat at the Outagamie County Government Center. Schedule an appointment online or by calling us at 920-832-5100.

What to expect at your appointment

There are a few things you should know before you meet with a CPS technician. This isn’t like getting an oil change on your car, where you leave the car and go do something else. Working with a CPS technician will be a one-on-one learning experience. When you leave, you should be confident that your child’s seat is installed correctly and feel comfortable reinstalling it on your own. This may be the most important thing you learn.

Here’s what you need to know about working with a CPS technician.

Before the Car Seat Checkup

  • Be prepared to learn, not just watch the CPS technician install the car seat. They're trained to teach you. Plan to spend 30-45 minutes per seat at the fitting station.
  • Try to schedule an appointment one to two months prior to your baby’s due date just in case you deliver early. Many CPS technicians and their agencies require appointments several weeks in advance.
  • If your child is already born, know your child's weight and height, and bring your child with you. If possible, also bring another adult to help watch the child while you are learning.
  • Install the seat in your vehicle before your car seat checkup appointment. Be sure to use the instructions that came with the child car seat and the instructions in your vehicle owner’s manual regarding car seats.
  • Bring the car seat instructions and the vehicle owner’s manual with you to your appointment.

During the Car Seat Checkup

A CPS Technician will:

  • Fill out a form to note a variety of information, including the car seat type, location in vehicle and misuse observations, if any.
  • Ensure that your car seat is appropriate for your child’s age, and size, and review factors affecting proper use.
  • Review the car seat instructions and the vehicle owner’s manual to ensure that both are being followed correctly. (Remember to bring the vehicle owner’s manual with you.)
  • Ensure that an appropriate seating position in the vehicle is being used.
  • Check the car seat for recalls, visible damage and an expiration date.
  • Watch you install the car seat(s) correctly using either the seat belt or LATCH system.
  • Discuss the next steps for each child, such as when to graduate to the next type of car seat.
  • Discuss the benefits of everyone riding properly buckled in, including all adults.
  • Discuss safety in and around the vehicle.
  • Answer any questions you may have, so ask away.

After the Car Seat Checkup

A car seat checkup is considered a success if you can answer yes to the following questions:

  • Did you participate in the installation?
  • Do you feel confident about installing and using the car seat correctly?
  • Did the technician answer all your questions? If not, were you given another expert to contact or will the CPS technician follow up with you?

Car Seat Safety

Buckling up the right way on every ride is the single most important thing a family can do to stay safe in the car. Child restraints and seat belts, when installed and used properly, can prevent injuries and save lives.

For the best possible protection, keep your baby in a rear-facing child safety seat in a back seat for as long as possible - up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. The "12 months and 20 pounds" rule that many parents cite when turning their child forward-facing in the car is actually the minimum size and age requirement for that change. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation is to keep children rear-facing to at least age 2. Children’s heads are the biggest and heaviest part of their body, and their necks are the weakest. So turning a child forward-facing too soon could lead to serious spinal cord injuries.

Check out the Wisconsin Child Car Seat Law to learn more about the best way to keep your child safe in the car!

Watch Zero In Wisconsin: How to Properly Use Child Safety Seats, videos that cover Infant, Toddler and Booster seats.

Outagamie County Public Health has staff trained as Child Passenger Safety Technicians. Visit us at one of our Car Seat Check Events or call the Public Health Office for more information at (920) 832-5100.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death to children 3-14 in the United States. For every fatality, approximately 18 children are hospitalized and more than 400 receive medical treatment.

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