Once your program is organized and in place, it’s time to make sure people in your community know to come to your program when they have a need. There are many ways to do this.
Crissy shares her tried and true tips:
Work with your partner organizations. A good way to start is by sharing your contact information and the resources you have available with your partner organizations, such as Head Start, the clinic, day cares, WIC, and so on. We like to reach out to as many local partners to pool resources whenever possible. Once you’ve identified partners with car seat distribution programs, resources, or funding options, you can refer others to them. It is good to know who has what resources around child safety seats in your area, so you can educate families when they are seeking help. The staff at our partner organizations know they can contact us with any questions on car seats and car seat safety.
Word of mouth is the best advertisement. The most common way people know about our program at Nez Perce is by talking to happy customers. They talk about it to each other, share it on social media, and talk to the Head Start and daycare programs too.
Have a media presence in your community. We have fliers around town, share information at health fairs and within the school. We also post information on social media. All these things remind people that our program is there to serve them when they need us.
Make sure your contact info is on your educational materials. I print these Always Buckle Up Your Kids Every Trip Every Time inserts and put a sticker with my name and contact info in the box.
Link your distribution program to the clinic’s electronic health record. If you’re ready to take your program to the next level and make consults with you systematic, see how to do this in Module 10.