Apply for a Safe Kids Scholarship for the Florida OPRC to pay your Safe Kids fees for any of these Child Passenger Safety (CPS) certifications:
CPS Technician
Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children. Studies have shown that approximately half of all car seats are not installed correctly.
Motivated technicians work to reduce these statistics and are instructed over 3-4 days on installing all different types of car seats with varying latches, buckles, and belt locks in several different cars. As a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, you will put your knowledge to work through a variety of activities, including community presentations and/or child safety seat checks where parents and caregivers receive education and hands-on assistance with the proper use of child restraint systems and seat belts. The Florida Occupant Protection Resource Center offers scholarships to pay for the Safe Kids Worldwide registration fee for CPS certification and recertification (not for the local fee, if applicable).
CPS Technicians that receive the scholarship to pay their Safe Kids fees agree to the following:
- Apply within 10 to 30 days of course
- Attend every day of the course for the full allotted time
- Set their Safe Kids profile to ‘public’
- Affiliate with the University of Florida
- Participate in agency and community car seat check events
Join the team of over 38,000 nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPST) and be that community advocate or resource in your community!
In addition, the OPRC offers CPS-specific resources including LATCH manuals, car seats, and a library of print-ready materials to support our state’s CPS professionals.
Looking to assist at existing car seat check events or appointments before starting your own? See this list of Florida Fitting Stations and reach out to your local contact today!
Ready to recertify? Review this Safe Kids Worldwide webpage on recertification requirements. It’s never too early to start on the requirements; the five seat checkoffs is the most common barrier to recertifying.
CPS Instructor
Experienced CPS technicians who are ready to help others learn how to become technicians should consider working towards becoming a certified instructor.
To earn this certification, CPS Technicians must:
- Complete the instructor candidacy process and successfully teach a Certification Course.
- Make sure their technician certification does not expire during the candidacy period.
CPS Instructors have the honor of leading the future of child passenger safety in their community, from teaching CPS Technician courses to offering guidance to new technicians at fitting stations and events. Florida communities benefit greatly to having an experienced CPS Instructor to encourage area technicians in their work with the public.
OPRC offers scholarships to pay for Safe Kids Worldwide instructor candidacy and recertification fees. CPS Instructors can also receive a stipend for teaching the CPS Technician courses if they are not being paid from other sources. See the CPS Instructor Stipend webpage to review the payment contract and more information.
Technician Scholarship Application Form
To apply to have your Safe Kids fee paid for.