The Bothell Police Department is partnering with the Cribs for Kids program to provide free, portable cribs to parents who have babies sleeping in an environment that could lead to a Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID).

Nine of 10 infants who die of SUID do so because of an unsafe sleep environment.

The cribs are free and come from the Cribs for Kids National Infant Safe Sleep Initiative. They will be provided to families in need who have an infant sleeping in a situation that could lead to a death.

The Bothell Police Department was invited to participate in a Cribs for Kids grant. The department was awarded cribs purchased by grant funds, to be distributed to citizens in need. The grant was facilitated by Deborah Robinson, the founder of the Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Investigations (SUIDI) organization. SUIDI is a national organization focusing on the investigation of child death and injury prevention. Robinson lost a child to SUID several years ago.

When Bothell police officers come across an infant who is sleeping in an unsafe environment such as a couch, regular bed, or with a family member, they will notify Bothell Police Juvenile Detective Dione

Thompson. Thompson will contact the family and offer assistance, which will include providing the crib, setting it up, and counseling the family about safe sleeping for infants. Education to help prevent sleep-related deaths due to unsafe sleeping environments is available at cribsforkids.org/education/.