Ohio Buckles Buckeyes (OBB) Car Seat Program

Ohio Buckles Buckeyes (OBB) is the Ohio Department of Health's child passenger safety (CPS) program, providing child safety seats and booster seats to eligible low-income families in all Ohio counties. The goal is to increase the availability of car seats for families who could not otherwise afford them and to improve correct installation and proper use. Our certified technicians can also schedule an appointment to check your car seat.

To receive an OBB seat, income-eligible families must attend an educational session provided by trained local CPS staff. In the session, the parent or caregiver receives important education on how to properly use the car seat for their child and how to correctly install it in their vehicle.

Income must be within WIC guidelines, though the recipient does not need to be enrolled in WIC.

To refer someone in need, contact 740-652-2852 or hannah.josefczyk@fairfieldcountyohio.gov.

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of childhood fatalities in the U.S.
• At least 3 out of 4 car seats are not used correctly, putting children at risk of injury or death.
• It's the law: in Ohio, children must be properly restrained in a child safety seat until at least 4 years old and 40 pounds, then in a safety or booster seat until 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall.

The right car seat is based on a child's height, weight, age and developmental level:

• Height and weight, car seats have limits that can differ by use (rear- vs. forward-facing). Weigh and measure your child and check the seat's labels and manual. A child has outgrown a rear-facing seat when the top of the head is within 1 inch of the top of the shell.
• Age, keep a child rear-facing as long as possible and in a five-point harness as long as possible.
• Developmental level, children with special healthcare needs may benefit from staying rear-facing or in a five-point harness longer.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics technical package (opens in a new window, leaves this site) (August 2018), all infants and toddlers should ride rear-facing as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their seat's manufacturer.