Say YES Toolkit

An updated Guide and Toolkit for Continuation and Expansion of West Virginia’s Infant Safe Sleep Educational Program Through Hospitals, Home Visitation Programs and Other Community Partners.

Thank you for accessing our site for information about how to plan, implement and maintain Say YES To Safe Sleep For Babies, an infant sleep safety initiative in West Virginia to educate expectant parents and parents/caregivers of infants up to age 1 year.

We have tried to make the information comprehensive and have included guidance and tools that are useful to existing and new organizational partners throughout West Virginia.

The Guide and Toolkit is updated based on lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2013-14 and best practices from a variety of sources. It will be further updated as new information becomes available.

The goal of Say YES To Safe Sleep For Babies is to make infants as safe as possible in their sleeping environment and prevent sleep-related injuries and deaths of babies under the age of one.

Click here to download a PDF of the Guide and Toolkit.

  • Document 1 provides a brief synopsis of background information about the umbrella program, Our Babies: Safe and Sound, and its expanded component, Say YES To Safe Sleep For Babies, along with a description of the Guide and Toolkit.
  • Document 2 describes a summary of the pilot phase, subsequent expansion and future directions of Say YES To Safe Sleep For Babies. It includes information about hospitals and home visitation programs currently participating.
  • Document 3 provides a summary of readiness strategies for initiating, maintaining or expanding Say YES To Safe Sleep For Babiesat local sites, including a detailed checklist of preparation factors.
  • Document 4 provides detailed information about progressing to implementation or continuation of multiple educational messaging through multiple partner organizations. It includes descriptions of initial, reinforcement and community education environments and corresponding educational strategies to reach expectant parents and parents/caregivers of infants; a review of available educational tools; and information about local site staff roles.
  • Document 5 is a toolkit of additional helpful resources and supplemental materials to use in the Say YES To Safe Sleep For Babies initiative and includes:
  1. Say YES Program Model Consistency (New)
  2. Say YES Program Overview: Phases and Schedule (Updated)
  3. Participation Agreements (Updated)
  4. Roles and Responsibilities of Partner Organizations’ Key Contact Persons
  5. American Academy of Pediatrics Infant Safe Sleep Recommendations
  6. Samples of Infant Safe Sleep Policies/Standards of Care (Updated)
  7. Samples of Infant Safe Sleep Practice Audit/Assessment Tools (Updated)
  8. Online Training Module for Staff of Partner Organizations (Updated)
  9. Overview of In-Home Family Education/Home Visitation Program Partners (Updated)
  10. Discussion Points for Providers of Prenatal and Initial Education for Parents/Caregivers (Updated)
  11. Discussion Points for Providers of Reinforcement Education for Parents/Caregivers (Updated)
  12. Cribs For Kids®
  13. First Candle Safe Sleep Media Guidelines (New)
  14. Cribs For Kids Guidelines for Photography in Certified Safe Sleep Hospitals (New)

This program is being presented with financial assistance as a grant to the TEAM for West Virginia.
Children from the WV Department of Health and Human Resources
and funding support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia
Partners in Community Outreach West Virginia
Western Regional CASA
West Virginia Infant Toddler Mental Health Association
Mountain State Healthy Families