Guerin family donation

Meet the Guerin family!

This 3 and 5 year old will be safely riding in style in two Britax Regents. Previously, the 5 year old was in a backless booster. As you can see below, she will have plenty of growing room with another slot on the Regent to go!


Many thanks to Staci Fortunato, CPST for her time and expertise assisting us the the donation of these seats. Staci showed the family how to correctly install and use these restraints.

Each seat the foundation donates costs approximately $200. We have a waiting list of ~100 families at any given time - all consisting of children who are at risk whilst they await our ability to assist. Please consider a donation to the foundation of any size you can afford, to help keep more children like the Guerin children safe. You can donate using PayPal to the right of our blog, or you can donate using Debit/Credit/Check. Details are here. Thank you so much for your support and dedication to keeping children safe!

Winnie family donation

Meet the Winnie family!

The Winnie family received two Britax Regents from the foundation on May 16, 2009. Many thanks to CPST Kelley Adams-Campos for her time and expertise installing these seats and educating the family about installation and usage of these seats.

Cheryl Winnie had this to say to the foundation:

"I wanted to say thank you to all of you for helping us keep our children safe! Huge thanks to the Kyle David Miller Foundation! We are so grateful to have received these seats! Thank you to the technicians for all the hard work and for educating us on how to properly install the seats. [My children] LOVE their new seats and now their father and I can feel much safer knowing that thanks to the Kyle David Miller Foundation and the safety seat technicians our children will ride safely!"



Each seat the foundation donates costs approximately $200. We have a waiting list of ~100 families at any given time - all consisting of children who are at risk whilst they await our ability to assist. Please consider a donation to the foundation of any size you can afford, to help keep more children like the Winnie children safe. You can donate using PayPal to the right of our blog, or you can donate using Debit/Credit/Check. Details are here. Thank you so much for your support and dedication to keeping children safe!

Simons family donation

Meet the Simons family!

Prior to receiving their new seat for their son, he was riding in an expired convertible seat. With the help of CPST David Buckowski, the family received a brand new Britax Regent that will keep this 4.5 year old safe for a very long time to come.

In the series of pictures below, you will see David installing the seat into the vehicle.



David secures and tightens the top tether anchor. The tether anchor on the Britax Regent is required for use when the child reaches 50lbs, but is always recommended to use a top tether anchor at all times. If your vehicle does not have a tether anchor, you can usually have one retrofitted and often for free by your local vehicle dealership.





Many thanks to David for his time and expertise installing the seat and educating the family about installation and usage. In the picture above, you will notice the chest clip is a tad high - this was positioned correctly at armpit height prior to the end of the appointment.

Each seat the foundation donates costs approximately $200. We have a waiting list of ~100 families at any given time - all consisting of children who are at risk whilst they await our ability to assist. Please consider a donation to the foundation of any size you can afford, to help keep more children like the Simons' boy safe. You can donate using PayPal to the right of our blog, or you can donate using Debit/Credit/Check. Details are here. Thank you so much for your support and dedication to keeping children safe!

Britax Regent & Sunshine Kids Radian80 Seats - a review

Today I am writing to share some product reviews on two different seats. These are the seats the foundation uses and recommends.

I will start with the Britax Regent. I personally love this seat. It provides a lot of room for a growing child and will hold an older child with ease. It is a larger seat, however, but it is great for your older child that is still not ready to be placed into a booster. Depending on the child's growth pattern, this seat can be used to roughly age 8 or 9 from what I have seen. Some children will outgrow it faster. This is a forward facing, harnessing seat only.

The seat has a 20" harness height and holds a child up to 80lbs. I have had great luck installing this seat in a variety of vehicles and have never had any problems getting a proper and tight installation. This seat is forward facing only and requires the use of a top tether when the child reaches 50lbs (though top tether use is ALWAYS recommended at any stage). From my personal experience with the seat for my children, I have noticed they seem very comfortable and have lots of room to relax and move about. The harness adjusts with ease and my kids really enjoy riding in their Regents. My middle son who is 7, still naps often in the car and he never seems uncomfortable when he leans his head slightly to the side as he sleeps. Seats manufactured after June 18 2007 require the use of a recline bar for proper installation, and with this recline it gives the seat just enough lean to it that a sleeping child doesn't lean forward into the harnesses as they nap.

This seat will help you keep your child in a 5 point harness much longer than most seats with its high harness height and high harness weight limit.

Now lets talk about the Sunshine Kids Radian80. I love this seat also. Like the Regent, it has a 80lb weight limit on the harnesses. This seat has a lot of neat features and, unlike the Regent, rear faces and then forward faces.

The Radian80 is a more narrow seat, making it very easy to fit three across the back seat of nearly any vehicle. I have noticed in personal use in our van, that it is not compatible with all seat belt systems in all vehicles. It has a low, back belt path. In my van, for example, the middle row has stiff buckle stalks that lean forward, that forward leaning doesn't allow the belt to come back far enough to get a tight install of these seats in the middle row. It does fit most vehicles that I have tried the seat in. This seat can be used without a top tether, so if you have an older vehicle or your vehicle cannot be retrofitted with a top tether anchor, this seat is a good choice to allow you to still harness your child. The top harness slot height is 18" on this seat, however, with this seat, the shoulders can go past the top harness slot as long as the tops of the child's ears are not past the shell of the seat. Some other points about this seat include the folding seat and the carry strap to transport it easily. It is a bit heavier than most seats though. It is also FAA approved. This seat rear faces from 5-35lbs and forward to 80lbs. This seat, from what I have seen personally, will hold a child in general to about age 7-8. Of course this varies depending on the child's height and weight.

My views as a mom, not a tech, are that these seats are both fantastic. They have provided me a great deal of extra security in keeping my children in 5 point harnesses for a much longer time than I ever thought I would be able to. I do ride much easier knowing that they have this extra added safety. It was really quite ironic, the day we had our first 80lb. harnessing seats installed I left with something that I didn't even know I was missing. The comfort that my kids were as safe as they could be.

Extended harnessing is truly the safest way your children can ride. A harness will provide better protection for them and increase their chances for less injury if you are in a crash. I hope that these reviews about the seats help you understand why the the foundation uses these seats, why techs love them so much and we suggest them to parents.

The day my angel got his wings...

The actual date might not be the same but the Sunday before Memorial Day will always be the day we lost Kyle. I was thinking about it all day yesterday, watching Kobe and thinking that Saturday was the last full day we had with Kyle. Did I stop and appreciate it? Did I hug him and kiss him and tell him I loved him? In hindsight it seems impossible to just be living normal life and have no idea such a huge horrible thing was about to happen to us.

The anniversary of his death this year is especially difficult because this is the year that Kobe is the exact same age Kyle was when he died. Kyle's birthday is 3/13 and Kobe's is 3/31 - their birthdays are 2 weeks apart and Kobe's date is the reverse of Kyle's. So in just a couple weeks, Kobe will be older than Kyle ever got to be. There is an odd sort of healing in that though. In a way, I will get to experience part of what we missed with Kyle (and continue to miss) through Kobe. I have a 7 year old son, but I don't know what it's like to raise a 4,5,6,7 year old boy. At least I will get to experience that through Kobe, or at least I pray that I will. Of all people I know that you can never "expect" a tomorrow. So I'm just trying to cherish each day with the children I am blessed to have here with me and continuing to miss my sweet Kyle more than words could ever say.

This is one of the first blog posts I wrote, 2 years ago on the anniversary of the accident. The words are still just as true today as they were then. I've changed a few things to reflect the time difference.

Today is a difficult day. It is the 4 year anniversary of the accident that took Kyle's life. I've felt it approaching like a dark cloud. There is a heaviness to it that hangs over me and permeates every moment. I don't like to think back about that day, the things that I experienced that day are memories I would gladly have erased from my brain. I never want to forget a moment of my time with Kyle but the memories of that day are like a poison in my brain. They sneak up on me at the most unexpected moments, driving in the car, watching Katie, Kobe or Kaleb sleep, hearing a song on the radio will bring it all back, the flood of horrific images and memories I try to keep locked away in a dark corner of my mind. If I let myself walk around every day remembering those things, I couldn't function, I'd have to be locked away in a loony bin. How can you live and be happy while having images of your child bleeding to death in your mind? Once you have felt the coldness of death on your child's skin and watched his casket lowered into the ground, how do you ever laugh at a silly joke again? It's something I have struggled with for 4 years now. I feel like I have gotten better at it, I've learned how to contain the bad memories and lock them away and try to only remember the good. They do sneak up on me from time to time like a sucker punch to the ribs and knock the breath out of me and leave me reeling, but I have learned how to manage it and put the demons back in their cage so that I can carry on with the life that I have to keep living.

One thing that hasn't changed is how damn much I miss that boy. My eyes water just typing that sentence. I never knew that missing someone could actually be physically painful, that there is a longing so deep it feels like your stomach is being ripped out. I miss so much about him, his big brown eyes that looked into a soul so much older than his 3 years, his sweet hugs and kisses, the way he danced when he had to go pee, his bed head hair in the morning, the way he adored Katie, the sound of their voices laughing and yelling and playing and fighting, his hammer punch, his love of Ninja Turtles, animals and especially sharks, how shy and quiet he was around people he didn't know, his light-up-a-room smile, the feel of his little fingers squeezing my arm like he so often did. I was the only "security blanket" he ever needed. He was so different than both Katie and Kobe, he had such a unique personality that was all his own and I loved - love - him so much. There aren't words to describe how much I miss him and the void his absence has left in my life. How I would love to see what he would look like now, 7 years old, no longer a baby at all, taller, older...what would his voice sound like now? What would he be into now?

As the years pass sometimes I feel like I am losing him all over again, year after year. I didn't just lose my 3 year old, I lost him at every age I won't get to see him grow into. His birthday and this day always remind me of that.

I think people sometimes are afraid to bring him up, like I'm not thinking about him and by saying his name they will "remind" me of him and hurt me somehow. That couldn't be further from the truth. I don't really know how to describe it but the best way I can explain is like this... If you have kids, do you forget about them if you are away from them for a couple hours? Of course not right? Your children are a part of you, even when you aren't with them. You are always thinking of them and even when you are distracted with something else, they never leave your subconscious - you are always aware of them, even in your sleep or busiest moment. That's how it is with Kyle, he is in my realm of awareness just as much as my living children He is always in my thoughts, when I think of "my kids" there are always 4 names, 4 faces. Just because he isn't physically with me, he is still "with" me just as much as his brothers and sister.

As the years pass by without him, my love for him remains as strong as ever. The only thing that changes is that I just miss him more and more.

A love for child passenger safety - in honor of Kyle

Hi everyone! My name is Kris Abbink. I am a mom to 4 wonderful children, a wife, and a dedicated CPST (Child Passenger Safety Technician). My oldest, Steven, just turned 10. My middle son, Joey, is 7, and my youngest two, Alex & Ashley (twins), are 4 1/2 years old. I would like to tell you a little about me, how I became interested in child passenger safety, and why I became a tech.

I love my children and am a full time mother, always on the go with the kids. They are my world, and I wouldn't have it any other way either! I always do everything I can to give them the very best and make sure that they are safe.

I put my children in boosters when they were much too young for them. Something that, looking back on, makes me shudder. My mind goes to the 'what if's' and I am very thankful that nothing happened. One night I was sitting at my desk, the kids were in bed and I came across the video of Kyle. I read what people were saying, to have tissues ready. I was ready to see a sad story, what I wasn't ready for, was that my life would change from that moment on. As I sat and watched this little boys life unfold up to the tragic day he was taken from this world, I learned that my children were not safe in our vehicle. I was thankful that the Millers found this information to share with everyone. Taking something so bad and doing what they could to make it have some good outcome. At that point I started researching the prices of these higher weight harness car seats. To my disappointment, these seats were way out of my budget. I tried and looked, thought and wondered. A few days later I went to the foundation website that I found from the video. I read about this wonderful foundation and how they wanted to help families get these seats when they couldn't otherwise get them on their own. I sat there, reading this and wishing so badly I could get these seats for my children. The day I watched Kyles video I lost all security I had in my kids being in those boosters. I turned to the foundation for help and we were blessed with assistance for our children with seats. This was just the beginning for me.

I was so inspired and moved by the kind act of the foundation helping our family as we struggled through our hardships that I wanted to be a tech. I started checking into when the class was and I was lucky enough to get into the class to become a tech. As I recall I was the only person in that class that was not there for work. Everyone else was there because their work asked it of them. I am not saying they didn't want to be there, but they were there for their job. I volunteer my time in the community as much as I can. I became a tech for the passion that was found within me upon learning about Kyle. I became a tech in the honor and memory of Kyle and for not only myself, but for the foundation also. Their message is so wonderful and strong, I wanted to be able to help further the knowledge to parents about keeping their children safe. Now I am an advisory CPST to the foundation, there to help anytime I can and loving every minute of it!

My hopes and wishes in my work as a CPST, both with the foundation and in the communtity, is that more children are safe and parents get the information that they need to keep their children protected. My passion and dedication for what I do grows stronger every day. I am forever greatful to the Miller family for sharing their sons story to help ensure the safety of others children, mine included. I am forever greatful to the foundation for helping my family to keep my children safe.

Losing Kyle

My name is Marie Parker and I am the VP of the Kyle David Miller Foundation. I’ve known Christine since she was pregnant with Kyle. My current role with the Foundation is taking care of the merchandise. I helped design and order the shirts, bracelets, magnets and Kyle’s Kindness Card. I’m also the one who mails out any new orders that come in.

We have been friends with the Miller Family for a very long time and our daughters are still, to this day, the best of friends. My husband Adam and I have Tanner (a girl) who is 9, Matthew is 7, and Morgan is 3.

Memorial weekend is always hard for me. I hate to travel on this weekend and for the last few years, we haven’t. But today, for the first time in years, my husband left this morning for a bachelor party in Rockport, TX. It’s an 11 hour drive across the state of Texas. I’m terrified he won’t make it back. I pray and pray and pray that he makes it back. It’s natural for me to be this way, especially this weekend. I’m aware of reality. I don’t have the attitude “Oh that won’t happen to us.” At least, not anymore.

I remember the day of the accident like it was yesterday. We were living in College Station, Texas. My husband had just graduated from A&M and we were packing up our apartment, loading it into the U-Haul and getting ready to say goodbye to Aggieland. It was a Friday morning when I called Christine. Our conversation went like this:

“Hey there, what are you guys up to?”
“Oh not much, we just got through having a late breakfast. We are about to go to the new rent house to show my dad where we’ll be living next year and then we are heading to San Antonio. How about you guys?”
“We are packing the last of our things now and will be heading out soon too.”
“Well call me when you get to San Antonio, we are going to go out on the lake on my dad’s boat, and you guys should join us.”
“Ok sound great. Christine, guess what? I’m pregnant.”
“WHAT! No way! Oh my gosh! Congratulations, when did you find out?”
Then I hear Kevin in the background say “What? What happened?” Then Christine turns to him and says “Marie’s pregnant.” Kevin goes “Nu uh!”
“I just found out, crazy huh?”
“How do you guys feel?”
“Well it was definitely a surprise, but we are happy.”
“Oh my gosh! I still can’t believe it! I’m so happy for you! Well make sure you call me when you get into San Antonio, we want to hang out with you guys.”
“OK will do, talk to you later.”

Little did I know that just an hour or two later, the unthinkable would happen.

We must have just missed the accident. We made it all the way to San Antonio with our U-Haul and it wasn’t until the next morning that we found out. The Principle from Katie and Tanner’s school called me really early Saturday morning. She said she was watching the news the night before when she learned that a 3 year old Kyle Miller died in a car accident. She wanted to call and see if it was Kevin and Christine’s Kyle. I told her I hadn’t heard from them but that I would call them and find out and give her a call back. I was hoping that they would answer and say no, it must have been another Kyle Miller.

We didn’t get a hold of the Millers at first. Adam went online to read the College Station newspaper and came out of the bedroom in tears. He said it was true. The paper listed all their names, Kevin, Christine, Katie and Kyle. It was them. I was still hoping to get a phone call saying no, it wasn’t true. It must have been another Miller Family with the same names. It couldn’t have been them.

Christine called back a few minutes later. I couldn’t talk to her. I had Adam answer. He was in tears instantly. We wanted to go back to College Station to be with them, Adam told her we’d be there in 3 hours. Christine said “No, we are on our way down.”

I sometimes think “What if I wouldn’t have called her to tell her I’m pregnant? Would Kyle still be here?” I know that sounds silly but I felt like a new life was created and another was taken away. It just wasn’t fair.

We saw them a few days later at Kyle’s funeral. It was there that I learned that Christine’s Dad was right behind them following them in his car. He saw the whole thing right in front of him. It was there that I learned how the van rolled and rolled and rolled and how, when they came to a stop, they immediately flipped their heads around to see the kids. Christine saw Katie and she was fine. She thought “Oh thank God, they are OK.” But then turned back around more and didn’t see Kyle. “Where’s Kyle? Kyle’s gone!”

Losing Kyle was the hardest thing I’ve had to go through. Watching my best friend lose her child is unbearable. Watching Matthew grow up without his buddy is hard. Seeing him off to school and buying bigger clothes for him each year is tough. When we all get together and the kids are running around, there’s always a space where Kyle should be. Always a chair, a car seat, a pair of flip flops, a drink, a toy, that’s not there for Kyle and it’s unfair.

In College Station, we lived in the same apartment complex with the Millers. We saw them often, almost every day of the week. Matthew and Kyle used to like to play with Ninja Turtles. Birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, Easter egg hunts, park play dates, dinner and school; we were with them everywhere for everything. Christine is the sister I never had; Kevin and Adam are like brothers.

I had no idea that our kids were in booster seat prematurely. My kids were in the same car seats as Katie and Kyle. We thought that was good enough. It wasn’t until Christine lost Kyle, did more research, and found extended harnessing car seats that we realized that there is something out there that’s safer. Tanner, my 9 year old, just outgrew her Britax Regent and is now in a booster seat again. I think of how I used to have Tanner, at such a tiny age of 4, in a booster seat and I shudder. I thank God each and every day for the knowledge he gave Christine and the strength he gave her to pass this information along to others.

I ask that you think of Kyle and the Miller Family during this tough time of year. I ask that you think of how much has come out of this little boy’s short 3 years. Think of how many kids are being saved everyday from his story. Think of your child and make sure you are educated on car seat safety. Please don’t think it can never happen to you, because it can.

Here is a letter I wrote to Kevin and Christine shortly after the accident. This sums up the life we had in College Station, Texas:

Kevin and Christine,

I miss all the times you guys would come over on weekends and we'd eat dinner and watch movies. We would send the kids upstairs and put on one of their favorite movies. Kyle and Matthew would always come downstairs for re-assurance that we were still there. We'd pause the movie we were watching and walk them back up. Sometimes we'd get frustrated, but now I would walk them back up 1,000 times if it meant that they could play again.

They loved to dress up and one of them would always end up naked, needing help with a costume. Tanner and Katie would of course laugh because little naked boys are just too funny! After finally getting them situated, we'd finish our movie and our popcorn.

By the end of the night, Kyle would sometimes fall asleep. Kevin would carry him to the car while you searched for socks and shoes and sippy cups. Katie and Tanner would whine because they didn't want to see each other go. And then the following night, we'd do it all over again.

I miss those times so much, when it was just the eight of us; four adults and four kids. Those weekends were such a great part of our lives and Adam and I will never forget them. Life will go on and we will have our movie nights again someday. This time with new little kids and new sippy cups and new pairs of shoes we'll have to search for. But until then, please know that every night we got to share with the four of you, was one of the best nights of our lives that we will never forget. We love you. -Parker Family

Marie Parker
VP Kyle David Miller Foundation


Katie, Kyle, Tanner and Matthew







Matthew and Kyle playing dress up








Katie, Kyle, Tanner and Matthew Halloween








Miller Family and Parker Family 2009:
Tanner, Morgan, Katie, Kobe, Matthew, and Kaleb

in memory of Kyle

4 years ago this weekend, this world lost an angel and earthly hearts were broken. Through his parents' love for their son, and their determination to prevent another family from the same loss and heartache, countless lives have been saved.

Kyle - this is for you, sweet little man. May we all have the opportunity one day to give you an enormous hug.

foundation merchandise

Spread awareness! Show your support with pride! We have the goods to help you do so!

On the foundation website we have all kinds of goodies for you to proclaim your support. T-shirts for adults and youths (smaller kid items are available from infant sizes upwards on our Cafepress site along with caps, mugs, buttons etc.),


kindness cards for Kyle's Kindness Project, Wristbands, extended harnessing and extended rear-facing vehicle magnets


Use these to get a conversation started and help other parents to keep their children safe!

survivors - Neal family

We'd like to introduce you to the Neal family - aren't they adorable?.

The foundation was contacted in March 2009 by Mrs. Neal who, following learning about Kyle and the foundation's message, was able to keep her children safely restrained in a vehicle which was subsequently involved in a crash. Thankfully, the children were unharmed; the parents believe this was due to the actions they took when they learned about Kyle's message. Mrs. Neal tells a little of her story:

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I watched your video, and then I made my husband watch it. We both cried. That weekend, I bought a 5 point harness - a Graco Nautilus 3 in 1- for both of my three and four year old children. Three weeks later, the nanny was driving them to the local library. A truck hit our van head on. The nanny was hurt and is still in physical therapy 6 weeks later. My kids didn't even feel the crash and their only complaint was that the DVD player shut off.

I am so very sorry about what happened to your darling son Kyle, but you have been very brave in trying to save other children. You saved mine - I'm sure of it. I have told at least 20 parents about you since this happened. I am so grateful and I will continue to tell others about you and your website in honor of Kyle.

Sincerely,
Alison Neal"



And we are so thankful that you did view Kyle's video and take action! Your children are adorable Mrs. Neal. We are so relieved they were unharmed in your crash. Our thoughts are with your Nanny and we hope that she makes a full recovery from her injuries.

Grider family donation

Meet the Grider family!

These adorable boys will be safely harnessed in two Britax Regents that the foundation donated in May of 2009. Above you can see the boys just after they have been fitted to their seats - this is the stage that the slot to route the harness through the seat is determined. The harness should be in slots at or above the child's shoulders.

The foundation sought assistance from a local Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) to install and educate the family about correct installation and usage of these seats. We wish to heartily thank Casey Sanders for her time and expertise.

"I want to thank the Kyle David Miller Foundation for contacting me and giving me the opportunity to work with the foundation in helping a family in need. Mrs. Grider was very thankful for the car seats. Mrs. Grider was very concerned about the safety of her children. In my experience there are a lot of people out there that are just looking for a hand out. I don't believe that is true in this case. I believe this was a great choice that the foundation made. Mrs. Grider has two sets of twins. I also inspected the other two car seats and they were installed correctly. Mrs. Grider said she has been on the waiting list for approximately one year but the wait was worth it. If there is anything I can do in the future to assist the foundation please let me know. I would be glad to help out.

Thank you,

Casey Sanders
Firefighter/Paramedic"

Each seat the foundation donates costs approximately $200. We have a waiting list of ~100 families at any given time - all consisting of children who are at risk whilst they await our ability to assist. Please consider a donation to the foundation of any size you can afford, to help keep more children like the Grider boys safe. You can donate using PayPal to the right of our blog, or you can donate using Debit/Credit/Check. Details are here. Thank you so much for your support and dedication to keeping children safe!

about us

The Kyle David Miller Foundation was started in December 2006 after the Miller family lost their 3 year old son Kyle in a motor vehicle crash on May 29th 2005. Kyle was sitting in a booster seat but his seat belt failed which caused him to be ejected from the vehicle and killed. At the time the family did not know there were 5-point harness car seats available for older/larger children. They believed that a booster seat was their only choice.

After his death, the Miller family researched car seats extensively and found that rarely known about car seats existed that could hold a child in a 5-point harness up to 80 pounds. They believe that if Kyle had been in one of these seats, he would have survived their crash.

In an effort to inform other parents about the importance of these larger 5-point harness car seats, the family created a public video and put it on YouTube.com. The video received over 1 million views in the first month (over 2 million views to date) and the family received many emails from concerned parents who wanted to purchase a 5-point harness car seat for their child but could not afford one. It was obvious there was a real need for a charitable program that could provide these larger 5-point harness car seats to these families in need. After realizing that there were no programs in existence that provided help for these children and families, the Miller family decided to take it upon themselves to begin one.

The Kyle David Miller Foundation was begun to serve 2 primary purposes as follows:

1. To educate the public about motor vehicle and car seat safety –primarily the importance of the use of extended harnessing 5-point harness car seats for older toddlers and children.

2. To provide safe 5-point harness car seats to families who otherwise could not afford them.

If you would like to learn more about Kyle, please read our page on the foundation website dedicated to him.

To meet our Board Members and Volunteers, please go to this page on the foundation website.

You can read some of the testimonials from thankful parents and caregivers here.

frequently asked questions

Who is eligible for assistance from the foundation?

Any family who has a child who is outgrowing, or has outgrown a traditional convertible child restraint which harnesses to 40lbs, is eligible to apply for assistance. The family MUST be in receipt of government financial assistance. Examples of this are WIC, Food Stamps, Medicaid, SSI etc.

How do I apply for assistance from the foundation?

Please complete an application form at the foundation's website - here.

What documentation do I need to send to prove my receipt of financial assistance?

Scans of WIC folders, Medicaid cards, Food Stamp vouchers etc. may be emailed to the foundation at info@kyledavidmiller.org. Photocopies may be mailed to:

Laura Bower
Executive Director
Kyle David Miller Foundation
4 Marks Court
Londonderry, NH 03053

Where can I get assistance with an Infant seat or a Convertible Seat?

The foundation does not provide these types of seats. Please contact your local Safe Kids Coalition to find out information about car seat donation programs in your local area. You can find the contact details for your State or local coalition from this website - http://www.usa.safekids.org/.

When does a child outgrow a harnessing seat?

A 5 point harness seat can be outgrown in one of three ways (whichever comes first):

1. The child reaches the maximum weight for the harness rating.
2. The top of the child's shoulders creep above the top harness slot in the child restraint.
3. The top of the child's ears are level with the top of the shell of the seat.

I would like to help the foundation - how can I do that?

The foundation is solely funded through monetary donations. You can donate to the foundation using PayPal through the button on this blog, or you can donate using Debit/Credit card at the foundation website here. If you would like to send a check, please make it out to the Kyle David Miller Foundation and mail it to:

Laura Bower
Executive Director
Kyle David Miller Foundation
4 Marks Court
Londonderry, NH 03053

If you are in the market for a car seat or baby products, please consider shopping at Hip Monkey - the proceeds from ALL purchases at this site go to the foundation, and in turn directly to providing car seats to families in need.

How long is the current waiting list?

Our waiting time is currently ~ 9 months until we are able to assist families.

What happens once we are approved and our name comes to the top of the list?

When we are in a position to assist you, you will be contacted by the foundation requesting updated information on your child's height and weight and any vehicle or contact detail changes that may have occurred during the waiting period. The foundation requests a small donation to help cover our shipping costs, and then a car seat(s) will be shipped to a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) in your local area. Once the seat arrives with the CPST, you should call to schedule an installation/education appointment to receive your seat.