One of the fundamental tenets of any society is to do whatever is necessary to protect our children and to give them a safe and healthy environment in which to flourish. There is no more illustrative example of that belief than the work of Judy Bannon and the entire staff of Cribs for Kids. What began as a response to an alarming increase in infant mortality in Allegheny County has now become a worldwide force for the concept of safe sleeping environments for children. I consider the participation of my office in the Cribs for Kids program one of the most important decisions I’ve made as District Attorney and I am honored to be associated with the work that Judy does on a daily basis.

I first met Judy Bannon in 2003 when she gave a Grand Rounds at York Hospital in Pennsylvania. Her lecture was simply incredible. Her passion about infant sleep safety led our department of pediatrics to look into starting a Cribs for Kids chapter in York. Judy and her staff made themselves available to assist us with each step of the way in starting up our chapter. Having never run a charity or so much as written a funding grant, I needed all the help I could get. Judy supplied us with all the forms we would need to get started. She even provided us with a sample grant that was invaluable in getting us our first $3000 to purchase Pack ‘N Plays.

Her staff is amazing as well. The delivery of materials is smooth and reliable. Judy has been very flexible in helping us maintain our 501c3 status. I just can’t say enough great things about this organization! And it amazes me to see how it has grown into the premier organization for providing Pack ‘N Plays for families in need across the country. Here alone in York we have helped over 1500 families in the past 7 years. Nationally, I believe the number is over a million. That’s an awful lot of families sleeping easier, knowing that their babies have a safe place to sleep. So why don’t you join us? With over 4500 sudden and unexpected infant deaths still occurring in the US every year, the need is out there. You can be part of the solution!

“Judy – THANK YOU for your incredible support on this project! Barb is a joy to work with. It is so easy to promote and grow a project when you believe in the good work that the founders like you have done and you can see the difference it will make in our community. ”

…”I had a client come in yesterday, who had received a crib one month ago, before her infant was born. (As previously mentioned, our Greene County office provides Cribs for Kids pack-n-plays in a partnership with Safe Kids of Greene County.) After watching the video, she became distraught, because she is living with her grandparents and she emphatically stated that she had “no authority in this house as a guest and her entire family would be smoking in the home near her child”. She was truly concerned about the risk of SIDS under her current living conditions. We discussed alternative options, such as closing off just her room and ventilating this area for her child’s safety. Well, she returned yesterday, just before your email, with a great big smile….her entire family nowonly smokes outside, and her baby will only sleep in the pack-n-play! Apparently, she was able to share the education that she received with her family members and they cared enough to change. We both attributed this successful change to your program and the education that you provide for clients. She is now a very happy, relaxed, and overjoyed momma. One child will definitely be much safer and healthier because of the services that we both provide.

Sincerely,
Liz