Safe Sleep Hawai‘i
Safe Sleep Hawai‘i is a statewide coalition supported by the Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH), Family Health Services Division (FHSD). Safe Sleep Hawai‘i prevents infant sleep-related deaths by promoting safe sleep practices for infants. The Coalition increases awareness about the causes of infant sleep-related deaths and how to prevent those deaths by providing educational information, training, and supportive services in communities across the islands. The Coalition’s work follows the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment.
Coalition members represent community members, birthing hospitals, military Family Advocacy Programs, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Hawai‘i Department of Human Services, DOH, and many nonprofits that support pregnant women and parents of infants.
FHSD supports activities to increase the rate of infants sleeping in safe conditions. In addition to the Safe Sleep Hawai‘i Coalition, FHSD supports monthly Safe Sleep workshops led by The Parent Line; the Cribs for Kids program, provided through the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai‘i; and the Safe Sleep Hawai‘i Facebook and Instagram accounts, managed by The Parent Line. The FHSD commitment to increasing safe sleep practices is reflected in the Title V State Action Plan Perinatal/Infant Health goals.
Safe Sleep Resources
A Safe Sleep Guide for Parents provides information about the ABCs of Safe Sleep:
Infants should always sleep Alone on their Backs in a Crib.
The Guide is a short brochure that unfolds into a poster with information on how to keep babies safe when they sleep.
Click below for the downloadable Guide available in 12 languages:
The Parent Line will mail free hard copies of the Guide to programs or individuals. Visit theparentline.org/safesleep or call 808-526-1222 to request free copies.
The Parent Line hosts a FREE one-hour online Safe Sleep workshop every month for parents and caregivers. When babies sleep safely, parents rest easier, so join The Parent Line experts to learn tips for ensuring that your baby sleeps safely. The workshops are designed for education and enrichment; certificates are not provided, and participation does not fulfill the DHS Requirement for Resource Caregiver Certification.
Visit theparentline.org/safesleep/ for upcoming trainings and more information. Call The Parent Line at (808) 526-1222 to register for upcoming Safe Sleep Virtual Workshops.
“Hawaii Cribs for Kids” is a safe sleep course that provides education, support, and – for income-eligible families – a GRACO Pack n’ Play. Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai‘i administers this program with support from private and public funding.
Cribs for Kids is a national program designed for low-income, high-risk pregnant women and their families. This program provides education on the risk factors for infant sleep-related deaths and how parents can create a safe sleep environment.
Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies provides a variety of social and clinical support to new parents and tracks the baby’s health throughout its first year of life.
To learn more about supports available for pregnant women and new mothers, visit hmhb-hawaii.org.
The Safe Sleep Hawai‘i Coalition created an electronic toolkit of resources to raise awareness about the role of safe sleep environments in reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sudden unexplained infant death, and other sleep-related infant deaths. This toolkit is designed for organizations and individuals that educate parents and caregivers about safe sleep for infants. The materials are geared toward parents and caregivers of infants.
DHS-Approved Safe Sleep Trainings
Everyone who cares for infants should understand the ABCs of safe sleep. Several options are available for parents, caregivers, and childcare providers to receive online training about creating safe sleep environments.
The Hawai‘i Department of Human Services (DHS) Child Care Licensing Program requires specific safe sleep training for all DHS licensed and registered providers and centers that care for children less than 1 year of age. All individuals that might be around infants, including volunteers and household members, must participate in an annual safe sleep training.
DHS has a list of trainings that are approved to meet their licensing requirement. Many of these trainings are also available to parents and caregivers. The current list of approved trainings is HERE (updated October 3, 2022).