A coalition of health and safety experts from a variety of backgrounds working to decrease the number of preventable childhood injuries in the Tampa Bay area.

Led by Johns Hopkins All Children’s, the Safe Kids Florida Suncoast coalition serves five counties in the Tampa Bay area – Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Sarasota and Manatee. Each county elects officers who annually review childhood injury data to develop strategies to combat specific childhood injuries.

Safe Kids Florida Suncoast’s top initiatives include working to:

• Decrease the number of fatal and non-fatal drownings of children of all ages.
• Ensure children ride in properly installed car seats and booster seats at all times.
• Increase properly fitted bike and other wheeled sport-helmet usage in children younger than 16 years.

Other areas of focus include medication safety and poison prevention; fire, burns and scalds prevention; firearm safety; and home safety, including choking prevention and toy safety.

Safe Kids Florida Suncoast was established in 1991 and is an affiliate of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children. Preventable injuries are the leading cause of death of children in the United States, according to Safe Kids Worldwide. The coalition unites health and safety experts, first responders, educators, local agencies, civic groups, businesses and volunteers in each community served. 

Safe Kids Worldwide was founded in 1988 by Dr. Marty Eichelberger of the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., with support from founding sponsor Johnson & Johnson. Safe Kids Worldwide works with an extensive network of more than 600 coalitions in the United States, and partners with organizations in 23 countries around the world to reduce unintentional childhood injuries and injury related deaths.

Since 1988, there has been a 55% decrease in the unintentional injury rate among children 19 years and younger, thanks to the tireless work and support of our coalition, those around the state and country, and Safe Kids’ worldwide partners and sponsors. Our coalition and others worldwide continue to work to further decrease the instances of preventable childhood injuries. 

If you would like to become a member of the Safe Kids Coalition, please complete the membership application found of the last page of the information packet and mail it to:

Safe Kids Florida Suncoast
c/o Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
501 6th Ave South, Dept. #6500002738
St. Petersburg, FL 33701