Green Cars for Kids: Powering Healthier Futures with Clean Rides

South Florida — Launched in 2023, Green Cars for Kids bridges critical transportation gaps for children and expectant mothers facing barriers to accessing essential healthcare. This nonprofit offers free, on-demand rides using zero-emission electric vehicles—making medical visits safer, more reliable, and climate-conscious.

Operating as a community-driven effort, the initiative first rolled out its pilot program in Broward County, supported by the March of Dimes and working in partnership with Freebee to tap into their electric, ADA-compliant fleet and user-friendly app system. Riders without smartphone access are also able to request rides through a multilingual phone dispatch, ensuring the service is accessible to all.

At the core of the effort is Dr. Catherine Toms, MD, MPH, who founded the nonprofit to address the harmful intersection of maternal-child health disparities and environmental injustice. Inspired by her public health experience and the urgent climate-related health risks facing pregnant women and children, Dr. Toms modeled the organization after Alabama’s Kid One program and steered its early implementation in challenging communities.

The program goes beyond transporting families—it supports health outcomes in the communities that need it most. In its first 21 months, the two-car pilot fleet in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties completed more than 5,400 trips for over 1,600 unique clients—primarily in areas with the highest rates of preterm birth and infant mortality. Free electric rides to prenatal and pediatric health appointments are not just a convenience—they are a lifeline for health equity and a climate-positive step forward.

Source: Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, “Green Cars for Kids: Driving Children to Better Health with Electric Vehicles” (June 9, 2023).