History of Safe Kids Denver Metro

History of Safe Kids Denver Metro

Safe Kids Denver Metro was established in October 1998 in a formal agreement between the National SAFE KIDS Campaign (currently known as Safe Kids Worldwide) and Children’s Hospital Colorado. The coalition is led by Children's Hospital Colorado and works to identify and prevent injuries in children ages 14 and younger in the counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson. Safe Kids Denver Metro draws its membership from hospitals, public health and safety, police, fire, emergency medical services, businesses, parent groups and other individuals. 

History of Safe Kids USA

The Safe Kids movement started when two people raising awareness of trauma treatment at a children’s hospital learned there was no broad U.S. effort to address injuries, the number one killer of children. Wouldn’t it make sense, they reasoned, to try to prevent injuries before they happened?

In 1986 surgeon Martin R. Eichelberger, M.D., and Herta Feely, a public relations professional, started the National Children's Accident Prevention Campaign under Children’s National Medical Center. In 1987, Eichelberger and Feely secured funding from Johnson & Johnson (the organization's founding sponsor), and the National SAFE KIDS Campaign was officially launched in 1988 as the only U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing unintentional childhood injuries.

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History of Safe Kids Worldwide

The success of grassroots Safe Kids efforts to prevent unintentional childhood injury drew attention from around the world. Representatives from 14 member countries joined in the formal launch of Safe Kids Worldwide on October 14, 2002, in Washington, D.C.

In 2004, following the development of a new strategic plan, the mission and goals of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and its more than 600 coalitions and chapters were merged with those of Safe Kids Worldwide and its 16 member countries. The most visible aspect of the unification was a new common name and brand. In 2005, following board approval, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign officially became Safe Kids Worldwide.

Currently, the Safe Kids Worldwide network consists of 19 affiliates, including longstanding non-governmental organizations, such as Kidsafe in Australia and Grosse Schützen Kleine in Austria, as well as new Safe Kids entities created by concerned stakeholders to address the growing unintentional injury risks to children.

Click here for more information on the history of Safe Kids Worldwide.