About our program
Cribs for Kids’ National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification program recognizes hospitals and hospital systems for their commitment to infant safe sleep to reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), Accidental Suffocation and Strangulation in Bed (ASSB), SIDS, and unsafe sleep injuries. The program confers a bronze, silver, and gold designation to hospitals that model and teach infant safe sleep according to current American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) best practices outlined in the Cribs for Kids Certification Manual and Hospital Certification Toolkit. Program rigor is developed according to the most current AAP evidence-based policies and consultation with medical experts from the AAP Safe Sleep Task Force.
facts
- Any hospital caring for patients under one year of age is eligible for certification
- Using a systemwide infant safe sleep policy, system-level certification is available. This option still allows individual hospitals within the system to certify at their care level.
- U.S. Military hospitals around the world are eligible for Safe Sleep certification.
- No Fee
- 5 Year Certification
- Requires Submission of Annual Reports and Recertification Application
Achieving certification is a rewarding objective that promotes in-house and public safety, unites your healthcare team, and elevates your hospital’s reputation within the community. This success will be experienced and recognized by staff, leadership, and community members alike. Achieve your certification to distinguish your organization at a local and national level.
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Levels of Certification
Bronze Requirements
- Implement hospital or hospital system-wide Infant Safe Sleep Policy.
- Promote safe sleep education on the hospital website
- Promote hospital-wide infant safe sleep imagery
- Provide safe sleep training to staff caring for infants < 1 year
- Provide safe sleep education to family/caregivers of infant < 1 year
- (1/2024) Identify families needing a safe sleep space and provide resources
Silver Requirements
- All Bronze Requirements
- Implement Quality Improvement measures based on compliance audits
- Use AND/OR gift wearable blankets
OR
Assign Cribs for Kids Hospital-wide Training Module to every hospital employee
Gold Requirements
- All Bronze and Silver Requirements
- Identify at-risk family/caregivers in need of infant safe sleep spaces and distribute safe sleep spaces before discharge.
- Engage in a minimum of 2 community outreach initiatives to educate the community on infant safe sleep.
Getting Started
Certification affects hospital-wide policies, practices, and hospital culture. Therefore achieving certification requires a multi-department and multidisciplinary collaborative effort. The Quick Guide below helps orient your team by outlining the first steps to prepare to meet certification requirements and a certification level breakdown.
Map of Certified Safe Sleep Hospitals
Note: The location finder search function displays 12 hospitals at a time.
