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In 2001, 63,000 children age four and under were injured in automobile crashes. These crashes happen when children ride with parents, as well as with others, such as grandparents, neighbors and babysitters. If the adult in the vehicle is seriously injured and unable to talk, emergency personnel have no easy way of identifying the child or his/her special needs – vital information that can help rescue efforts go more smoothly. Sometimes, just knowing the child’s name

can help rescue workers comfort a frightened child, while knowing who to contact in an emergency allows them to notify parents or the next closest relative right away.

 That’s when WHALETM – “We Have A Little Emergency” – can make a difference.

 

WHALETM is an identification program that started in the early 1990s by a child caregiver on the East Coast, Connie Day from Richmond, Virginia, who wondered what would happen to the children in her care in the event of a car crash. Who would identify them? How would their parents be notified? How would medical personnel know the child’s medical needs? To address these concerns, she developed the WHALETM Program. The program is now recognized and used by emergency personnel in 34 states.