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Since the launch of the national Back To Sleep campaign in 1994, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) rates in the U.S. have decreased dramatically by more than 50%. Yet despite our best efforts to date, SIDS remains the number one cause of death for infants from one month to one year of age.  

A recent study of SIDS deaths in child care estimated that 20% of SIDS deaths occur when babies are in the care of someone other than their parents. Fourteen percent (14%) of the deaths in the study happened while the babies were sleeping in child care centers or family child care homes. The study makes it clear that programs – and parents – need to help educate child care providers about SIDS risk reduction. 

 It is essential that everyone working with infants understand the importance of life-saving messages on reducing the risk of SIDS and other accidental infant deaths. Consistency of care - from parent to caregiver and from nighttime to naptime - is a major concern. When babies who routinely sleep on their backs are placed or otherwise find themselves sleeping on their tummy for the first time, there is a twenty times increased risk for SIDS.  

Safe back-to-sleep practices are not being used consistently in all family childcare or center-based childcare programs.  In fact, only 15 states in the US have childcare licensing regulations that mandate placing infants on their backs to sleep.  

The National SIDS and Infant Death Program Support Center (PSC) of First Candle/SIDS Alliance provides technical assistance to professionals in managing infant death education, outreach and support.   In this section you will find a variety of resources to help childcare providers provide the safest environment possible for the babies entrusted to their care. 

Additional Resources: 

Healthy Child Care America (HCCA) Back to Sleep Campaign(http://www.healthychildcare.org/section_SIDS.cfm)

HCCA Back To Sleep Campaign Fact Sheet (PDF)

Recommended SIDS and Infant Death Educational Materials
from the National SIDS & Infant Death Program Support Center Risk Reduction Work Team  (PDF)

Child Care Bureau (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/)

Head Start Bureau (http://www2.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb/)

Maternal and Child Health Bureau  (http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/)

National Association for Family Child Care  (http://www.nafcc.org/)

The National Association for Regulatory Administration (http://www.nara-licensing.org/)

National Conference of State Legislatures (http://www.ncsl.org/)

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (http://www.nichd.nih.gov/)

National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care (http://nrc.uchsc.edu/)

National Association for the Education of Young Children (http://www.naeyc.org/)

National Training Institute for Child Care Health Consultants (http://www.sph.unc.edu/courses/childcare/)