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Code of Conduct

Child Passenger Safety Technician Code of Conduct

Adapted with permission by the National Child Passenger Safety Board (USA) / view as a PDF

The Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CPSAC) has established the following Code of Conduct for Child Passenger Safety Technicians, Instructors, and Instructor Trainers (hereafter referred to as Technicians) to guide their efforts to support the mission of providing Canadians with the skills and knowledge to safely transport children.

Technicians shall adhere to the following:  

  • Child Passenger Safety Technician training curriculum;  
  • Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada policies and procedures; 
  • Car seat, booster seat, and vehicle manufacturers’ instructions; and, 
  • The laws, statutes, and regulations of the Province or Territory in which the technician is practicing.

Technicians shall provide technically correct education in a respectful and professional manner, whether in person or online. While educating and supporting families in their pursuit of safety, Technicians must:  

  • Trust that caregivers want to do the best for children.  
  • Engage and empower caregivers.  
  • Respect a caregiver’s decisions, while keeping in mind the concept of good, better, best. 

Technicians shall educate caregivers that the best seat is one that:  

  • Fits the child’s weight, height, age, and development.  
  • Fits the caregiver’s budget and vehicle.  
  • The caregiver will use correctly as per manufacturer’s instructions each time. 

Technicians may provide information to help caregivers select a seat, making certain that recommendations are based on the specific needs of the family and features of the seat(s) that support those needs. 

Technicians shall not make recommendations based solely on brand and/or personal preference. 

Technicians shall not discriminate based on race, colour, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national or ethnic origin, mental or physical disability, age, language, or socioeconomic status. 

At all times, while working alone or with other technicians, partners, or colleagues, technicians shall: 

  • Engage in behaviour that honours the dignity and contribution of everyone.
  • Collaborate respectfully to achieve our shared mission.

Adhering to the Code of Conduct maintains the quality of services provided by Technicians and applies to all verbal, non-verbal, and written communication while interacting with colleagues, partners, and caregivers (online or in-person). For more information and resources, visit www.www.cpsac.org.

Can I do CPS-related work with people who aren't CPSAC-certified?

YES! Working with community partners outside of CPSAC’s membership (online and in person) is an excellent way to network, reinforce your skills, and build capacity to take on more exciting challenges. Look for ways to partner with other organizations within the child passenger safety industry and work together; when this happens, everyone wins!

When partnering with non-CPSAC organizations, remember:

  1. As partners, our shared mission is to provide Canadians with the skills and knowledge to safely transport children.
  2. Non-CPSAC technicians may provide their services and education differently, in accordance with their own training or policies. Be kind, be gracious, and be a role model in how to support caregivers.
  3. Only CPSAC members are covered by our volunteer insurance. To be insured, you must always follow CPSAC’s policies when you participate in activities with other organizations.
  4. When working with others, remember that the Code of Conduct always applies to you as a CPSAC member.

At all times, while working alone or with other technicians, partners, or colleagues, technicians shall:

  • Engage in behaviour that honours the dignity and contribution of everyone.
  • Collaborate respectfully to achieve our shared mission.

If you have questions about partnering with another child safety organization in your area, please reach out to [email protected]

What do I do if I disagree with something someone is doing or saying?

This will depend on if the caregiver is present, and whether the other person is also a CPSAC member, or part of a partner organization. 

Be professional and discreet. Use the car seat or vehicle manual, or your CPST training manual, and direct attention to the resources available.

If you are hearing from a caregiver about something that happened previously, remember that the caregiver may be misremembering, misunderstanding or misrepresenting the situation.

it may be appropriate to reach out to the individual to share the concern from the caregiver, but in most cases this is not a relationship-building move. Never speak negatively to the caregiver about the other person or their training. Empathize with the caregiver, support the correction and move on.

If the individual is a CPSAC member it may be appropriate to submit information to the Feedback Team. Find a reporting form here.

If you are concerned about an issue with an organization, please do not contact that organization directly; reach out to CPSAC for support at [email protected].

Another agency in my area is offering car seat training. I worry that the training is different from ours or not as complete. Should I take this training and correct the instructor?

Organizations have different priorities and approaches when it comes to child passenger safety education. Everyone involved in child passenger safety has the shared goal of reducing injury to children riding in vehicles, but how they do that and their delivery model can be different.

If you are interested in partnering with or working to support another organization, you can attend another training. Remember that it is not supportive or professional to attend another training for the purposes of challenging the instructor or the program, and it is never okay to attend a car seat check to attempt to trap someone or to prove someone’s misinformation. Remember that the Code of Conduct always applies to you as a CPSAC member:

At all times, while working alone or with other technicians, partners, or colleagues, technicians shall:

  • Engage in behaviour that honours the dignity and contribution of everyone.
  • Collaborate respectfully to achieve our shared mission.

Should I ask people trained with other organizations to take CPSAC training so that we can work better together?

Those trained with other organizations are welcome to add CPSAC certification to their own training and we even have an expedited process to do so (where applicable). Others may not want to take CPSAC training, or they may be uninterested or unable to work with those trained with other organizations. It’s important to recognize that even when we are not able to work together directly, that we all share the same goal of helping caregivers safely transport their children. Child passenger safety resources are limited and there is room for everyone to do their part.