The certification
cycle for each technician and instructor is two years. It is the responsibility
of the technician to complete recertification requirements.
Steps to
re-certification:
Complete
seat checks: You need to have 5 specific car seat
installations verified by a CPS instructor or an instructor proxy.
- Rear-facing only car seat
- Rear-facing convertible car
seat
- Forward-facing car seat
with harness
- Belt-positioning booster
seat
- Installation with the Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH) system
The best way to
accomplish this is to participate in one or more child seat checkup events. To
complete this requirement:
- Contact
an instructor or technician proxy to request and schedule an opportunity
for seat sign-offs
- Schedule
a family to complete the installation. Have the instructor or technician proxy
check you when complete. Make a note for yourself of the date, type of seat
completed, and instructor name.
- Log
in to your Safe Kids CPS Certification profile http://cert.safekids.org. Once you are logged in:
Scroll down to “Recertification – enter information and pay fee.”
Select the link “Add/Submit Seat Checks.” There, you can enter the information for each installation completed.
The corresponding instructor will later verify the installations online.
Due to COVID-19, Safe Kids has added an alternative to car seat checkup
events.
Continuing
Education: You need to have six continuing education units
(CEUs) per certification cycle. Time in a technician certification course does
not count as CEUs. Categories include in-person workshops,
teleconferences, online/web sessions, newsletters, manuals, and journals read. Go
to the CPS Board website for a
list of CEU opportunities.
To enter CEU
information, under the “Current Certification Cycle (enter information), there
is a button that reads “Click here to enter Continuing Education Units.” Enter
the appropriate information and submit online. Although you do not need to
submit any documentation, you should retain certificates or other appropriate
documentation of attendance in case you are selected for a random audit by Safe
Kids.
Community Education: You need to participate in at least one of the three options listed
below to meet this requirement:
- Participate in at least one
two-hour checkup event with at least one other CPS technician at which you
serve families using a standardized checklist to provide documentation, if
needed.
- Submit at least four hours of
community education. Examples include presenting to parents, educators,
kids, organizations (PTAs, law enforcement). These presentations are not
for CPSTs.
- Attend a one-hour (minimum)
educational session on how to better reach community members, improve
communication skills or instructor development.
Enter this
activity online and retain any applicable proof of attendance, such as a
follow-up letter from the host agency of the checkup event.
Pay the re-certification fee: This
may be done online when you log in to your profile on the Safe Kids
Certification website, preferably with a credit card. The recertification fee
is the responsibility of the recertifying technician or their organization. The
re-certification fee is $55.
Once all the requirements
are met and you are within four months of your certification cycle end date you
will see a "Recertify" link under Action items.
Please check the
Safe Kids Policy Addendum for more information: CPST Recertification and
COVID-19
Technician
/ Instructor Map by County
Map of Texas Child Passenger Safety
Technicians and Instructors by County
Safe Riders provides helpful information
about child passenger safety (CPS), including links to related local and
national websites. For more information (información disponible en español),
please call Safe Riders at 800-252-8255 or e-mail us.
External links to other sites are intended to
be informational and do not have the endorsement of the Texas Department of
State Health Services. These external links may not be accessible to persons
with disabilities.