| Course | HLTH 6473 Finance and Fiscal Management in Public Health |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 2 |
| Paper type | Program budget |
| Length | 1,260 words, about 5 pages plus title and reference pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | American College of Education |
| Program | Ed.S. in Public Health Education |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for HLTH 6473 Module 2
Seats, Technicians and a Tuesday Station: A Justified $95,784 Budget for a County Child Passenger Safety Program
Student Name
American College of Education
HLTH6473: Finance and Fiscal Management in Public Health
Module 2 Assignment
Instructor Name
August 10, 2026
Introduction
Module 1 found that a composite central Indiana county health department funds its child passenger safety program from a narrow base of two grants, even though car crashes are the leading cause of injury death for the county's children. This paper presents the program's budget for the coming county fiscal year, with each line explained and justified. A budget justification, sometimes called a budget narrative, tells a funder or decision maker why each cost is necessary, how it was calculated and how it connects to the program's goals (Finkler et al., 2019). The budget totals $95,784.
Program Need and Targets
The budget follows from the program's work. Last year, the program's weekly inspection station at a fire house and its monthly events checked 612 car seats and found at least one error in 74% of them, most often loose installation, a harness too loose or a child moved to the next seat type too early. Nationally, a study of observed child restraint use found that 46% of car seats and boosters were misused in ways that could reduce their protection (Greenwell, 2015). The program also gave 331 seats to families who could not afford them. A systematic review found strong evidence that programs distributing seats together with education increase correct use (Zaza et al., 2001). For the coming year, the program's targets are 700 seat checks and 390 seats distributed, with a follow-up call to every family who receives a seat.
Personnel
Personnel is the largest category, $52,380. The program coordinator, a certified child passenger safety technician-instructor, works 0.6 of a full-time position, with a full-time salary of $52,000, so $31,200 in salary plus fringe benefits at the county's rate of 35%, $10,920, for a total of $42,120. The coordinator runs the station, trains and schedules volunteer technicians, manages the seat inventory, conducts outreach and reports to funders. A bilingual outreach aide works 0.25 of a position at an annual rate of $38,000, $9,500, with part-time fringe at 8%, $760, for $10,260. The aide reaches Spanish-speaking families, who used the station at half the rate expected from their share of county births last year, and interprets during checks.
Technician Certification
Certification and recertification of technicians cost $1,200. Checks must be done by certified technicians, and the program depends on volunteers from fire departments and hospitals. The line covers course fees for six new technicians and continuing education and recertification for existing ones. Keeping at least ten active technicians allows the station to run every week without canceling during vacations and shift changes.
Car Seats and Boosters
Seats cost $21,760: 260 convertible seats at $62, $16,120; 90 high-back booster seats at $28, $2,520; and 40 rear-facing infant seats at $78, $3,120. The mix reflects last year's distribution, in which convertible seats, which serve children from infancy through the toddler years, were most requested. Unit prices come from the program's bulk purchasing agreement with a distributor that sells to safety programs. Seats are given only after a family attends a check and receives education, following the distribution plus education model with strong evidence behind it.
Supplies, Station, Outreach and Travel
Supplies cost $1,850 and include locking clips, pool noodles and towels used to adjust recline angles, checklists and printing. Station equipment, a canopy and signs for outdoor events, costs $900; the fire department provides the bay, electricity and parking in kind. Outreach costs $2,400, covering translation of materials into Spanish and Burmese, flyers for pediatric offices, WIC clinics and child care centers and social media promotion. Travel costs $1,300 for mileage to community events and home visits for families who cannot reach the station, at the county's reimbursement rate.
Evaluation
Evaluation costs $1,500, covering the aide's time for follow-up calls, a simple database for recording check results and a small incentive for families completing a return check at six months. The program will track the share of seats installed correctly at the end of each check, the share still installed correctly at the six-month recheck and the share of distributed seats going to families below the income guideline.
Indirect Costs and Totals
Direct costs total $83,290. The department's approved indirect rate is 15%, covering finance, human resources, information technology and facilities, which adds $12,494 for a total of $95,784. The highway safety grant, however, caps indirect costs at 10% of direct costs, or $8,329. The difference, $4,165, is a real cost the county absorbs, and it belongs in the budget so decision makers see it rather than in a footnote where it disappears.
Funding Sources
The budget is funded from four sources. The state highway safety office's child passenger safety grant provides $36,000, restricted to seats, certification, supplies and part of the coordinator. The department's federal injury prevention grant allocates $32,000 to the coordinator and outreach. A hospital foundation has committed $9,000 for seats. The county general fund covers the remaining $18,784, including the indirect cost gap. Module 3 will develop a strategy to reduce the general fund share and diversify sources.
Assumptions Behind the Numbers
Every budget rests on assumptions, and stating them lets a reader judge the risk. This budget assumes that seat prices hold at the distributor's current rates, although prices for convertible seats rose by several dollars last year when a manufacturer changed models. It assumes that at least ten volunteer technicians remain active; if fire department staffing changes reduce volunteers, the coordinator's hours would need to rise. It assumes demand similar to last year's, adjusted upward for the aide's outreach to Spanish- and Burmese-speaking families. It assumes the fire department continues to provide its bay at no charge. Finally, it assumes that the highway safety grant is renewed at its current level in October, three months after the county budget is adopted, which is the largest uncertainty in the plan.
Alternatives Considered
Two alternatives were considered and set aside. The first was to stop distributing seats and offer checks only, which would cut costs by about a quarter. It was rejected because the evidence supports distribution combined with education, not education alone, and because the families most likely to have an unsafe or missing seat are those least able to buy one. The second was to hire a full-time coordinator and run two stations. It was deferred because demand does not yet justify a second weekly station and because the funding base cannot support it. The budget instead adds the part-time bilingual aide, which addresses the clearest gap in reach at a modest cost.
If Funding Falls Short
Because the highway safety grant is uncertain, the budget includes a reduced version. If the grant is cut by a third, the program would keep the coordinator and aide, reduce seat purchases from 390 to about 250 by prioritizing families with no working seat, delay certification of new technicians and suspend the six-month incentive. If the grant ends entirely, the program would continue checks with volunteers and distribute only donated seats while the department seeks replacement funding. Preparing these versions in advance lets the department respond within weeks rather than stopping the program while decisions are made.
Conclusion
The program's budget of $95,784 buys 700 seat checks, 390 seats, certified technicians, outreach to families who have used the service least and a simple evaluation. Every line is tied to a target, calculated from stated unit costs and linked to an intervention with strong evidence. Stating the indirect cost gap and the general fund share honestly prepares the ground for the funding strategy that follows.
References
Finkler, S. A., Smith, D. L., & Calabrese, T. D. (2019). Financial management for public, health, and not-for-profit organizations (6th ed.). CQ Press.
Greenwell, N. K. (2015). Results of the national child restraint use special study (Report No. DOT HS 812 157). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Zaza, S., Sleet, D. A., Thompson, R. S., Sosin, D. M., & Bolen, J. C. (2001). Reviews of evidence regarding interventions to increase use of child safety seats. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 21(4 Suppl.), 31-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(01)00377-4
What the HLTH 6473 Module 2 instructions ask for
HLTH 6473's second module commonly asks for a program budget and a written justification. Expect a prompt asking you to list costs by category, such as personnel, supplies, equipment, travel and indirect costs, show how each amount was calculated and explain why it is needed to meet the program's goals. Many instructors also want funding sources identified and matched to the lines they are allowed to pay for. Tie every line to a service target or activity, use realistic unit costs and make sure totals add up. If you analyzed revenue in Module 1, use the same organization so your budget reflects its real funding constraints. Stating assumptions and a reduced version is often welcomed.
Inside the HLTH 6473 Module 2 example
The paper opens with the funding problem from the first module and defines a budget justification. A section states the program's need and targets with local and national figures and the evidence behind the model. Separate sections then justify personnel with salaries and fringe rates, technician certification, seats by type and unit price, supplies and outreach, and evaluation. An indirect cost section shows the full rate against the grant's cap and names the gap, and a funding section lists four sources that add to the total. Three further sections state the budget's assumptions, explain two alternatives that were set aside and show a reduced version if the grant falls short, and the conclusion restates what the budget buys.
HLTH 6473 Module 2 rubric: what full marks look like
Budget assignments are usually graded on accuracy, completeness and justification. Rubrics tend to reward budgets organized by standard categories, with unit costs, quantities and correct arithmetic, and justifications that connect each line to program activities and targets. Recognizing indirect costs and funding restrictions shows financial understanding that many program staff lack. Transparency about gaps or local contributions is often credited, since it tells decision makers what the program truly costs. A consistent link to evidence for the program model and APA 7 citations for sources of costs, standards and evidence complete the paper. Stating assumptions and preparing a smaller version shows the planning habits of a real program manager.
Common HLTH 6473 Module 2 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Budget justifications often repeat each line's amount without explaining how it was calculated or why it is needed. If you would like help setting unit costs, calculating personnel and fringe, handling indirect costs or writing a narrative a funder will accept, a writer can help. Share your program, its targets and the prompt, and the Module 2 budget you receive will show every calculation and tie each cost to what it achieves. If your instructor provides a budget template or spreadsheet, the narrative will follow its categories. We can also help you check that totals match across the budget and narrative and prepare a reduced version.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official American College of Education document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More HLTH 6473 and Ed.S. in Public Health Education sample papers
- HLTH 6473 Module 1: Revenue Source Analysis
- HLTH 6473 Module 3: Grant and Fundraising Strategy
- HLTH 6473 Module 4: Resource Allocation Analysis
- HLTH 6473 Module 5: Program Cost Analysis
- HLTH 6473 Module 6: Program Financial Plan
- HLTH 6433 Module 4: Legal and Ethical Analysis
- HLTH 6403 Module 4: Culture and Norms Analysis
- HLTH 6403 Module 1: Behavior Change Theory Comparison
- HLTH 6483 Module 6: Research-Based Recommendation
HLTH 6473 Module 2 questions, answered
What does HLTH6473 Module 2 usually ask for?
In HLTH6473, Module 2 is commonly where a line-item program budget gets built, with a written justification of how each cost was calculated and why it is needed.
What is a budget justification?
A narrative that explains each budget line: what it pays for, how the amount was calculated and how it supports the program's goals.
What are indirect costs?
Shared costs of running an organization, such as finance, human resources and facilities, charged to programs as a percentage of direct costs.
Where can I find a free HLTH 6473 Module 2 sample paper?
The full Module 2 budget sits on this page: a $95,784 child passenger safety program with personnel, seats, certification, outreach, evaluation, indirect costs and funding sources.
What if a grant caps indirect costs below the actual rate?
Show the full indirect cost in the budget and identify who covers the difference, so decision makers see the true cost of the program.