Best Practice

KIDS Network Safe Sleep Instructor (SSI) Certification

State/Jurisdiction: National Kansas
Setting: Clinical Community Home
Population: Medical & Public Health Professionals Infant
Topic Area: Health Promotion & Communication Injury Prevention & Hospitalization Workforce Development
NPMs: NPM 5: Safe Sleep

The Safe Sleep Instructor (SSI) Certification is an innovative, evidence-informed program developed to address sleep-related infant deaths—one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the United States. Drawing on data from the Center for Disease Control, Child Death Review Boards, and feedback from communities most affected by infant loss, the program identifies unsafe sleep as a critical and preventable risk factor in many cases of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID).

Guided by insights from healthcare providers, families, and community partners like the Wichita Black Nurses Association, the SSI Certification was built to be culturally responsive, relevant, and inclusive. The goal is to create a network of trained professionals who educate parents, caregivers, childcare providers, and healthcare staff on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) safe sleep recommendations—particularly in historically underserved and low-resource communities.

By equipping professionals with tools to address barriers to safe sleep, the program empowers families and communities to adopt habits that reduce risk and help save lives.



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Implementation Handout
KIDS Network Safe Sleep Instructor Project Overview


CONTACT INFORMATION
Kansas Infant Death and SIDS (KIDS) Network, Inc.
Christy Schunn
edirector@kidsks.org
ssidirector@kidsks.org
316-682-1301
Practice Website