Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police Operation Kid Offers F

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – The Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police District 15 are working to keep children safe every trip, every time through Operation Kid 2018 and are hosting a free Kids’ Identification and Safety Seat (K.I.S.S.) event Saturday, July 28, at buybuy BABY in Batavia.

“We invite families to stop by, pick up ID cards for their kids and get their child safety seats checked while they have some fun with our District 15 and Tollway safety experts,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Liz Gorman. “Operation Kid helps parents and caregivers keep kids safe this summer in three easy steps.”

The next Operation Kid K.I.S.S. event is scheduled Saturday, July 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the buybuy BABY, 301 N. Randall Road in Batavia. Safety seat inspections will take place in the parking lot directly in front of buybuy BABY at the far east end of the lot closest to Randall Road and kids’ ID card processing will take place inside the store.

Through an in-kind partnership agreement, buybuy BABY has supported Operation Kid 2018 by donating car seats that are raffled off at K.I.S.S. events throughout the Tollway system. The mission of buybuy BABY is to ensure that new and expectant parents have everything they need to confidently welcome their baby and navigate the transitions of life as a family.

K.I.S.S. event highlights include:

• Free identification cards for children ages 3 and older.

• Child safety seat inspections and installations.

• Touch-a-truck display featuring hands-on exploration of a Tollway H.E.L.P. truck, snowplow and Batavia Police Department squad car.

• Drawing for a free car seat from buybuy Baby.

• Coupons and samples for Babyganics and Happy Baby foods.

Operation Kid 2018 K.I.S.S. events make staying safe quick and convenient for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and fun for kids by providing free kids’ ID cards and child safety seat inspection and installation help. K.I.S.S. events are scheduled throughout Northern Illinois in 2018. Learn more about the facts and event details at the Tollway’s website at illinoistollway.com.

Operation Kid 2018 – It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

1 – Find an event near you!

The Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police District 15 are hosting the free K.I.S.S. events at convenient locations, including children’s museums, malls and Tollway oases.

A complete list is available on the Tollway’s website at illinoistollway.com.

2 – Get a photo ID card for your child

At K.I.S.S. events, trained professionals take photographs and fingerprints of children 3 and older and gather vital information to include on an ID card that parents and caregivers can reference in an emergency.

Up to 90 percent of families will at some point temporarily lose a child in a public place, surveys indicate. Kids IDs are tools that provide police with accurate descriptions to help locate lost children.

3 – Make sure your child’s safety seat is safely installed

Certified child passenger safety technicians inspect child safety seats and help with proper positioning and installation, as well as provide information on correct sizing, expiration dates and recalls to protect children most effectively.

Properly installed child safety seats save lives and significantly reduce injuries in the event of a crash. Yet, Illinois State Police find that approximately 90 percent of child safety seats they inspect are improperly installed.

“One child fatality on Illinois roadways is one too many,” said District 15 Commander Robert Meeder. “K.I.S.S. events offer a convenient way for drivers to make sure they comply with Illinois law, which requires that whenever a person is transporting a child under age 8, the person is responsible for properly securing the child in an appropriate child restraint system.”

About the Illinois Tollway

The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 294 miles of roadways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.

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