Gov. Pritzker proclaims October Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month, joins Illinois DCFS and Pace Bus to remind caregivers to practice the ABCs of safe sleep

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Placards to be featured on 669 buses operating across suburban Chicago

(CHICAGO) - Unsafe sleep is a leading cause of death for children 1 year old and younger. To raise awareness about the ABCs of safe sleep, Governor JB Pritzker has proclaimed October as Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month in Illinois, joining the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (Illinois DCFS) and Pace Bus as they remind parents and caregivers of the three easy-to-follow steps they can take to create a safe sleep environment for infants in their care. Infants should always sleep alone, on their backs and in a safe crib.

"We all want what is best for our children, and it's easy to think that infants will be comforted by having a favorite toy or a blanket in the crib with them," said Governor JB Pritzker. "However, this is the exact opposite of what should be done when putting an infant to sleep. Infants simply do not have the muscle strength to move objects away from their face or nose - and keeping toys, blankets and bottles in the crib can be deadly."

Pace Bus, serving the Chicago metropolitan area, has partnered with Illinois DCFS since 2019 to promote safe sleep practices to their ridership. This month, newly designed safe sleep placards will be featured on 669 buses and will remain in view through December 31, 2025, at no cost to Illinois DCFS, to help promote this lifesaving initiative.

"Last year, Illinois families lost 106 infants-that's more than two a week-due to unsafe sleep," said Illinois DCFS Director Heidi E. Mueller. "These are truly tragic deaths that are largely preventable. Please remember that infants sleep safest when they are alone in their crib, a bassinet or a pack n' play, without pillows or extra blankets. They should never be put to sleep on an adult bed or couch, or left sleeping in a car seat or infant swing, even for a short time. We can prevent these devastating tragedies by remembering the ABCs of safe sleep: Alone, on their Backs, in a Crib."

Most sleep-related deaths occur when infants are between 1 and 4 months old, and 90% occur before an infant reaches 6 months of age. In 2023, 106 infants in Illinois under the age of 1 died as a result of being put to sleep unsafely, including 36 in Cook County.

To view and print the Safe Sleep placard, visit the Sleep Safety page on the DCFS website.

About the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Currently celebrating 60 years as the nation's first cabinet-level child welfare agency, DCFS is responsible for protecting children from abuse or neglect by responding to reports received by the Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-252-2873 (1-800-25-ABUSE) or childabuse.illinois.gov (non-emergency). With the goal of keeping children safe, DCFS strengthens and supports families with a wide range of services. In the event a child must be removed from the home, DCFS makes every effort to reunite them with their family. When the best interest of the child makes this impossible (less than 4% of the time), DCFS is committed to pursuing guardianship and fictive kin as primary options.