ICES - Infant/Child Enrichment Services

Safe Sleep Regulations & Practices

Concepts to Safe Sleep
Community Care Licensing – Child Care Program

Sleep Surface:

  • Mattresses must be firm with a fitted sheet that is appropriate to the mattress size that fits tightly on the mattress, and overlaps the underside of the mattress so it cannot be dislodged
  • Mattresses shall be made specifically for the size crib or play yard in which they are placed
  • No loose articles and soft objects in the crib or play yard
  • Bumper pads are not allowed
  • No objects can be hanging above or attached to the side of the crib

Family Child Care Home:

  • Crib or play yard placement will not hinder entrance or exit to and from the space where infants are sleeping
  • Each infant’s bedding will be used for him/her only
  • Bedding shall be changed and sanitized daily, or more often if needed

Pacifiers:

Pacifiers are allowed in cribs/ play yards if the following provisions are in place:

  • An infant cannot be forced to take a pacifier when put down to sleep
  • Nothing can be attached to the pacifier
  • The pacifier must be specific to the infant it is being given to

Individual Sleeping Plan:

  • An Individual Sleeping Plan will be completed for each infant that is 12 months of age or younger that the facility has in care and maintained in the child’s record

The Plan will include the following:

  • Usual Sleeping Times
  • Equipment the infant sleeps in
  • Length of time that is usual for them to sleep
  • Pacifier use
  • Infant’s ability to roll over and back on their own
  • Medical Exemption documentation

Back to Sleep

  • The licensee must place infants aged 12 months or younger on their backs for sleeping
  • The requirements set forth in the above may not apply if there is a medical exception included in the infant’s Individual Infant Sleeping Plan
    • – Medical exemptions must be signed by a licensed physician or their designee
    • – The medical exemption must be included in the child’s file
  • Infants must have an Individual Infant Sleeping Plan completed and signed by an authorized representative. The plan should indicate that the infant is able to roll form their back to their tummy as well as from their tummy to their back. However, they must be placed on their back when first laid down to sleep; in the event the infant changes position they may remain in the position that suits them if the plan is completed appropriately If the infant is able to roll back and forth for the first time in care the provider may then fill out the appropriate section of the Individual Infant Sleeping Plan, notify the authorized representative and have them sign the form when they pick up the child

Sleeping

  • Infants must not be swaddled while in care
  • Infants head must not be covered while sleeping
  • If an infant falls asleep before being placed in a crib or play yard, the licensee must move the infant to a crib or play yard as soon as possible

Family Child Care Home:

  • No infant shall be forced to sleep, to stay awake or to stay in the sleeping area

Supervision:

Family Child Care Home:

The licensee must supervise infants while they are sleeping and adhere to the following requirements:

  • The licensee will physically check on the infant every 15 minutes while the infant is sleeping, as well as look for any signs of distress and take proper emergency steps as detailed in the proposed regulations
  • The licensee must be near enough to the sleeping infant to be able to hear them should they awaken
  • If the infant/s is sleeping in a separate room from where the licensee is stationed, the door to the room the infant/s is sleeping in must remain open at all times
  • The licensee must be on the same floor as the sleeping infant
  • A monitor may be used in the home in addition to the above requirements for supervision but cannot be used in place of them

Child Care Center:

  • A staff person must be in the designated sleeping area, visually observing and able to hear the infants at all times
    • A transparent wall or half wall does not take the place of a staff person being in the designated sleeping area with constant visual supervision
  • While supervising sleeping infants a s staff person must look for any signs of distress and take proper emergency steps as detailed in the proposed regulations

Overnight Care:

Family Child Care Home:

  • In addition to all Infant Safe Sleep requirements the following requirements must be followed:
  • The provider must remain awake whenever children are awake
  • The door to the room where the provider is sleeping as well as the door to the room where the children in care are sleeping must remain open
  • If the sleeping arrangements are not situated in such a way that the provider can be assured of hearing a child waken, a monitor system must be used
  • The monitor must be maintained and in good working order at all times
  • The monitor may be used in place of 15 minute checks if infant has fallen asleep and the licensee is going to sleep as well.
  • Clean bedding and nightclothes must be available to children in care
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