Safe Sleep Awareness Month: The Launch of Safe Sleep Storytime

October is Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month, and we are proud to officially launch our new campaign, Safe Sleep Storytime. This campaign is built on a simple but powerful idea: stories connect us. Whether you are a parent, caregiver, healthcare professional, first responder, or community advocate, your story can inspire others to practice safe sleep and prevent tragedies. By sharing real experiences, challenges, and solutions, we can show families everywhere what safe sleep looks like and why it matters.

Throughout October, we are asking you to record and share your story using the hashtag #SafeSleepStorytime. These videos can be personal or professional advice you give to families, a safe sleep solution that works, or an example of how your organization promotes safe sleep. Every story makes a difference.

The campaign is designed not only to raise awareness this month but also to create a library of stories that will remain available year-round through our Safe Sleep Academy. Together, these stories will become a lasting resource that educates families and saves lives.

We’ve made it simple to participate. The Safe Sleep Storytime Toolkit provides step-by-step guidance to record and share your video. Once you’ve created it, post it to your social channels, tag us at @cribsforkids, and use the hashtag #SafeSleepStorytime. Be sure to encourage others in your network to join in and spread the message.

This is your chance to use your voice to create change. Let’s fill October with stories that honor every baby’s right to a safe sleep environment.

Spotlight on the Professional Training Series

At Cribs for Kids, education is at the heart of our mission, and our new Professional Training Series is designed to take safe sleep learning to the next level. Spearheaded by Spencer Poston, Program and Outreach Manager, the series builds on the foundation of our Safe Sleep Ambassador training and tailors content to professionals who work closely with infants and families.

Each module in the series is crafted for a specific profession, ensuring that the guidance is not only evidence-based but also practical for the unique role each professional plays. From child welfare caseworkers to home visitors, and soon childcare providers, the training focuses on how safe sleep knowledge can be applied directly in the field. Participants complete a module in about 45 minutes, take a quiz, and earn an e-badge to recognize their learning and commitment.

The series began with the Child Welfare Module, developed in partnership with Dr. Rachel Berger and informed by years of collaboration with Pennsylvania caseworkers. This module highlights the critical role child welfare professionals play in observing sleep environments and supporting families at higher risk of SUID. The Home Visitors Module followed in August, providing tools for social workers, nurses, lactation counselors, and early intervention specialists who are uniquely positioned to reinforce safe sleep practices during visits in the home.

Spencer and the Cribs for Kids team also developed new tools to accompany these trainings, including a Safe Sleep Assessment Tool and a Frequently Asked Questions handout, both of which make it easier for professionals to have meaningful, supportive conversations with families about safe sleep.

The next module, launching in October, will focus on childcare providers. Future modules are already in development for first responders, healthcare professionals, and doulas, along with a forthcoming Evidence-Based Research Library and National Resource Finder.

By offering these trainings free and on demand, Cribs for Kids is equipping professionals nationwide with the knowledge and resources they need to help every baby sleep safer.

Fall Safe Sleep Champions Webinar Recap

On September 30, Cribs for Kids hosted the Fall Safe Sleep Champions Webinar to launch Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month. The event brought together powerful voices and timely updates that set the stage for a month of education and advocacy.

One of the most moving moments came from Alexandria Bowerman, founder of Derrick Stone Safe Sleep, a 501(c)(3) organization she created in memory of her son, Derrick. Alexandria shared her family’s story with openness and courage, then described how her organization works with parents and caregivers in Knoxville, TN, to raise awareness and provide safe sleep education and resources. Her commitment to helping others is a true example of turning tragedy into lasting impact.

The webinar also highlighted Cribs for Kids’ Professional Training Series and the new Safe Sleep Storytime campaign. You can read more about both of these initiatives in the articles above.

Become a Safe Sleep Ambassador This Awareness Month

This October, during Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month, we invite you to take part in one of our most impactful programs, the Safe Sleep Ambassador Program.

The Safe Sleep Ambassador training is a free, online course that provides a clear overview of safe sleep recommendations and explains how each of us can play a role in reducing sleep-related infant deaths. The training takes less than an hour to complete, and once finished, Ambassadors commit to sharing what they’ve learned with at least three people in their lives. It is a simple but powerful action, one that extends safe sleep education into families and communities everywhere.

This month, we are asking our partners to help us amplify the Ambassador Program. Whether you host a training session at your hospital, encourage staff or volunteers to participate, or share the program online, every new Ambassador makes a difference. With more than 50,000 Ambassadors already trained, this program has proven to be an effective way to spread awareness and change behavior.

Becoming an Ambassador is more than just taking a course, it is joining a nationwide network of advocates who are united in the belief that every baby deserves a safe place to sleep. Become a Safe Sleep Ambassador today, and encourage your colleagues, friends, and community members to do the same. Together, we can multiply our impact and save lives.

On the Road: Sharing Safe Sleep Training Nationwide

October is always a busy month for safe sleep awareness, and this year our team is taking the message far and wide.

On Thursday, October 9, Chief Programs Officer Devon George, MSN, RN and Program and Outreach Manager Spencer Poston will present at the International Society for the Study and Prevention of Perinatal and Infant Death (ISPID) conference. Their session, “A Visit Can Save a Life: Preventing Infant Deaths Through Safe Sleep Training for Child Welfare Professionals,” highlights how our professional training modules equip caseworkers to support families in creating safer sleep environments for infants.

Later this month, Cribs for Kids will also be at PrevCon 2025. You can find us in the exhibition hall, and Devon and Spencer will lead a workshop on October 18 titled “Preventing Suffocation and Reducing SIDS Risk: Integrating Cribs for Kids’ Free Resources for Professional Training and Family Conversations.”

These opportunities are a powerful way to share our resources, strengthen partnerships, and expand the reach of our safe sleep mission. Every presentation and connection brings us closer to ensuring that every baby has a safe place to sleep.

Cribs for Kids at Babies & Bumps: Charlotte and Nashville

This fall, Cribs for Kids will be on the road with Babies & Bumps, connecting with new and expecting parents to share the message of safe sleep.

Join us on Sunday, October 19, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Charlotte Ayrsley, and again on Sunday, October 26, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs in Nashville.

Babies & Bumps events are designed to prepare families for pregnancy, birth, and life with a baby by offering expert guidance, local resources, and supportive community connections. Cribs for Kids will be there to share safe sleep education and showcase resources from our shop, ette cetera!.

These events provide the perfect opportunity to learn, ask questions, and discover the tools you need for your parenting journey. If you’re in Charlotte or Nashville, we hope you’ll stop by and see us.

Stay connected with the Safe Sleep Spotlight Monthly Newsletter for the latest updates on our programs, products, and upcoming events. Each month, we share important information about fundraising opportunities, impactful awareness campaigns, and the latest news in infant safe sleep. Thank you for being a part of our mission to ensure every baby sleeps safely. Together, with our partners, supporters, and community, we are making a difference.

Please email info@cribsforkids.org with any personnel changes, address changes, or contact email addresses to keep our database current. Names and address changes made via our ordering system don’t automatically update our database.