The University Medical Center Foundation is proud to announce that Interim Executive Director and Program Director of Community Programs Carolyn Williams has been named a recipient of the 2026 Texas Traffic Safety Award in the Child Passenger Safety – Traffic Safety Professional category.

The award recognizes professionals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to protecting children traveling on Texas roadways through leadership, education, outreach, and evidence-based practices that improve child passenger safety. Carolyn is one of only 10 individuals recognized statewide across five traffic safety categories, with one recipient in each category representing Law Enforcement and one representing a Traffic Safety Professional.

The Child Passenger Safety – Traffic Safety Professional category specifically honors individuals whose work has significantly advanced child passenger safety outside of traditional law enforcement roles. Recipients are recognized for leading initiatives that educate families, strengthen community partnerships, support public health programs, advocate for the proper use of child restraints, and improve safety outcomes for children across Texas.

This prestigious recognition reflects more than a decade of leadership, under the direction of Carolyn Williams, in growing the UMC Foundation's El Paso Health Car Seat Safety Program.  The program has become the largest child passenger safety program in the Borderland.

Over the past 12 years, the UMC Foundation's El Paso Health Car Seat Safety Program has become the largest child passenger safety program in the region, hosting more than 130 community events, educating more than 4,400 caregivers, evaluating the safe transportation of more than 7,000 children, and providing more than 6,500 child safety seats. Led by certified child passenger safety technicians, the program equips families with the knowledge and resources needed to keep children safe every time they travel. For the past nine years, El Paso Health's generous support has helped expand the program's reach and impact throughout the region.

Today, the program continues to make a difference by hosting free child passenger safety events every month at locations across the community. During these events, certified child passenger safety technicians inspect car seats, educate parents and caregivers on proper installation and use, and provide free child safety seats to qualifying families. These services help ensure children are traveling as safely as possible while giving families the knowledge and confidence to protect their little ones every time they get on the road.

The University Medical Center Foundation congratulates Carolyn Williams on this well-deserved statewide recognition and extends its sincere appreciation to El Paso Health, its certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians, and the many community partners who have helped make the program a trusted resource for families throughout the region.

Families interested in participating in an upcoming El Paso Health Car Seat Safety Program event can register by visiting El Paso Health Car Seat Safety Program Page or by calling (915) 521-7229. Free events are held once a month at rotating locations throughout the community, helping ensure every child has the opportunity to travel safely.