Guymon Library hosts free car-seat installation help stop for families

Parents in Guymon had a free chance to make sure a child seat was installed correctly by stopping at the Guymon Public Library and Arts Center and getting help from Safe Kids Oklahoma until 1:30 p.m. The event turned the library into a practical safety stop for families who wanted a fast check before getting back on the road.

That matters in Texas County, where a simple appointment can mean a long drive, extra fuel, and time away from work or school routines. Texas County’s 2020 census population was 21,384, and Guymon’s was 12,965, with both the county and the city trending slightly lower in recent Census Bureau estimates. In a place where families are spread out, a drop-in service at a familiar public building can carry real value.

The guidance behind the stop was straightforward. Oklahoma officials say families can get free car-seat checks through county health departments and Safe Kids Oklahoma, and state child-passenger-safety materials say children under age 2 should be properly secured in a rear-facing car seat. Oklahoma law also requires children at least 4 but younger than 8, if they are shorter than 4 feet 9 inches, to be secured in a child passenger restraint system or booster seat. National child-safety materials say more than half of car seats are not used or installed correctly, which is why checkup events are treated as a key prevention tool.

Safe Kids Oklahoma is led by Bethany Children’s Health Center and offers evidence-based programs that include car-seat checkups, safety workshops and sports clinics. Since 2001, the Oklahoma Injury Prevention Service, the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and Safe Kids Oklahoma have worked together on a county-health-department car and booster seat program, giving families another route to free help close to home.

The library setting fit the event well. The Guymon Public Library and Arts Center opened on September 3, 2013, at 1718 N. Oklahoma Street, backed by a one-cent city sales tax for capital improvements, an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and USDA grant, and a Nash Foundation donation. The library serves Guymon and Texas County, including Texhoma, and its role has grown beyond books and internet access into a place where families can find health and safety services in one stop.