What Experts Say:

All children 40 lbs and under should be in child safety seats on airplanes.

~The National Safe Kids Campaign

CARES for Special Needs Kids

ARE YOU FLYING WITH A CHILD WHO HAS SPECIAL NEEDS?

If your child has a disability that requires hauling a brace to provide upper body support in an airplane seat, you know what a hassle it is to make arrangements months in advance with the airline. And you have to do it again before each subsequent trip! Check with your child’s physician or physical therapist to determine if the CARES child aviation restraint provides sufficient upper body support for your child. If it does - no more having to make arrangement weeks or months in advance with airlines because CARES is already certified for kids 22-44 lbs for all phases of flight. So, just book your flight, carry your 1 pound CARES on board in your pocket or purse, install it on any seat in one minute. And know that your child is secure for taxiing, take off, turbulence and landing.

IS YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD LARGER THAN 44 LBS AND TALLER THAN 40 INCHES?

If so, and if CARES provides sufficient upper body support (check with your physical therapist or physician) you can still use CARES. For these older/larger children there is a 1 –time process to follow that has been simplified by the FAA. Here’s what you do: email nancy.l.claussenREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@faa.gov and state that you want to use the CARES child aviation restraint for your special needs child when you fly. The review process by the FAA for such requests has been expedited. You will soon receive a letter on FAA letterhead that states that you may use CARES for your child on any US airline, as long as the child sits in a seat where no one behind him/her would have to brace against it in the event of turbulence. Effectively, this means the row in front of the bulkhead - the last row of any section of the plane. This FAA letter should be retained by the family, and carried with them whenever they fly. No need to make special arrangements with specific airlines - all US airlines are required to respect this FAA “exemption”. Just book the last row, install the CARES on any seat in that row, and have a safe, comfortable trip with your family.