Services should consult with families about their child’s individual needs and be sensitive to different values and parenting beliefs, cultural or otherwise, associated with sleep and rest.

Nominated supervisors and educators should receive information and training to fulfil their roles effectively, including being made aware of the sleep and rest policies, their responsibilities in implementing these, and any changes that are made over time.

Regularly review and update sleep and rest policies and procedures to ensure they are maintained in line with best practice principles and guidelines.

Red Nose (formerly SIDS and Kids) is considered the recognised national authority on safe sleeping practices for infants and children. Policies and procedures should be based on current research and recommended evidence-based principles and guidelines.Approved providers are responsible for ensuring sleep and rest policies and procedures are in place.Approved providers, nominated supervisors and educators have a duty of care to ensure children are provided with a high level of safety when sleeping and resting and every reasonable precaution is taken to protect them from harm and hazard.Effective sleep and rest strategies are important factors in ensuring a child feels secure and is safe at a service.

The following principles may inform sleep and rest policies and procedures at your service. A recommendation was made via the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement on proposed options for changes to the National Quality Framework (NQF), that Regulation 168 in the National Regulations, ‘Education and care service must have policies and procedures’ be amended to include a requirement for a policy on ‘Sleep and rest for children and infants’, including matters set out in Regulation 81 (Sleep and rest). Current recommended evidence-based practicesĪn inquest into the death of Indianna Rose Hicks in 2012 found Indianna, who was five months old when she died suddenly and unexpectedly while in care, died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).Policies and procedures about children’s sleep and rest must be in place at all children's education and care services from October 2017.

Download among us sleep for free