TOPEKA – Safe Kids Kansas is a recipient of the Barclay-Giel seed grant program from the PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation for the Advancement of Public Health (COF). The grant provides the coalition support for safe sleep education, including 100 portable cribs and wearable blankets for low-income families. Through a partnership with the Kansas Infant Death and SIDS (KIDS) Network, these portable cribs and wearable blankets were distributed.
Safe Kids Kansas partners with organizations, such as KIDS Network, hospitals, health departments and state agencies, to reach families identified as at-risk for infant death due to unsafe sleep environments and practices. The program reaches families with education based on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Safe Sleep recommendations and provides resources to help ensure a safe place for their baby to sleep. KIDS Network Certified Safe Sleep Instructors provide standardized safe sleep training for families and caregivers through Community Baby Showers and Crib Clinics.
In Kansas, the Kansas Child Death Review Board reports that of the 43 sleep-related infant deaths in 2018, 86% occurred when the infant was sleeping in a place other than a safety-approved crib or bassinet, and 65% were bed-sharing or couch-sharing.
For more safety information, visit www.safekidskansas.org.