Title
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Accept the Child Passenger Safety Program grant funding in the total amount of $97,000, for the term effective upon final execution covering the period of October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027; and
2) Delegate authority to the HHSA Director, Public Health Program Manager (as the named Grant Director), and Assistant Director of Administration/Finance or Agency Chief Financial Officer to execute Funding In Agreement 10528 and future amendments that do not increase Net County Cost, contingent upon County Counsel and Risk Management approval as applicable, and subsequent administrative documents or required fiscal or programmatic reports.
FUNDING: 100% California Office of Traffic Safety pass-through funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
NHTSA awards funding to promote the development and implementation of highway safety programs that save lives and prevent injuries due to traffic crashes. OTS serves as a pass-through agency to provide federal funds to eligible public entities. On December 3, 2025, OTS released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) inviting public entities to apply for funding to address traffic safety problems related to the priority program areas outlined by OTS, including Occupant Protection.
In response, HHSA’s Public Health Division (PHD) submitted a grant application to OTS for the Child Passenger Safety Program to expand child passenger safety education and resources in El Dorado County to reduce preventable injuries and fatalities. In El Dorado County, vehicle occupant safety is a persistent challenge, particularly for child passengers. Between 2022 and 2024, traffic crashes resulted in 58 fatalities and more than 2,900 injuries, including five child fatalities and 182 injuries among children under age 16. Over the past decade, the age-adjusted mortality rate due to motor vehicle crashes in El Dorado County was an average of 26% higher than that of California overall.
On June 8, 2026, PHD received formal notification from OTS of an award in the amount of $97,000, contingent upon acceptance and execution of the Funding In Agreement presented in this agenda item. HHSA recommends that the Board accept the grant and authorize the HHSA Director, Public Health Program Manager, and Assistant Director of Administration/Finance or Agency Chief Financial Officer to execute the resulting Funding In Agreement 10528. This funding, if accepted by the Board, will be utilized by PHD to improve child passenger safety outcomes by expanding local access to and availability of car seat inspection services performed by certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians, offering bilingual outreach and education that promotes the proper use of safety equipment, and providing new car seats and booster seats to low-income El Dorado County families, ensuring that every child has access to a properly fitted restraint.
ALTERNATIVES
Should the Board decline to approve this recommendation, the County would be ineligible to participate in the OTS Child Passenger Safety Program and HHSA would not have the resources to implement child passenger safety activities.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no impact to Net County Cost. Appropriations are included within the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Adopted Budget.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director, Health and Human Services Agency