Arizona’s child-restraint law will get tougher next month. But Maricopa County is helping distribute booster seats for people who need them.

PETER O’DOWD: Kids younger than 8 years old -- or shorter than 4'9" -- must be in a child restraint when they’re in the car.  For older kids, that most likely means using a booster seat. Maricopa County Health Department’s Zoraida Ettrick says boosters cost between $18 and $24. But you can also get them for free.

ZORAIDA ETTRICK: I know here at the county we have programs in Central Phoenix and the Northwest part of the county where we give out booster seats for free all of the time.

O’DOWD: Ettrick says every fire department in the county will also have free booster seats available. The current law only applies to children under 6, but safety advocates who helped pass it say older children are often injured by seat belts that don’t fit them.