Child Care Cribs: Safety Standards and Child Care Compliancy

Drop-Side Rails and 2011 CPSC Safety Regulations Prior to June 2011, drop-side baby cribs were widely and legally used throughout the United States. They were useful and convenient, because they allowed one side of the crib to drop. Caregivers could then easily place or lift the infant in and out of the crib. The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) released a statement in May 2010 reporting 32 fatalities due to drop-side rails over a nine-year period due to faulty clips and hardware that allowed the rail to slip trapping the child’s head.  In June of 2011, new regulations on crib safety were put in place. These regulations pertained to banning drop-side rails, as well as a demand for increased durability of mattress supports and hardware in order to prove compliance. With the change in crib safety regulations, products came to market to make drop-side rail cribs safer, such as crib immobilizers. These immobilizers stopped drop-side rails from slipping and were safer options for families unable to afford brand new cribs. In December of 2012, all child-care facilities were required to switch all existing cribs to cribs that met new safety regulations and were proven to be compliant. Immobilizers do not meet these standards and therefore, are not to be used in child-care cribs. New Child Care Crib Safety Options As safety regulations changed, a variety of new cribs hit the market: fixed-side cribs and side-gate cribs. While fixed-side cribs require the caregiver to reach into the bed for the child, the mattress itself is adjustable to allow the provider to position the mattress at its topmost level for children who cannot stand (newborn-6 months). The mattress then adjusts to lower settings as the child grows to allow for optimal height safety. SafeReach has created side-gate cribs that allow caregivers to lower a little section of the rail to reduce back strain for daycare providers as they reach for the child. This is a pinch-proof design, and is different from drop-side rails as only a small portion of the rail is movable and will not trap or pin the sleeping child. At Worthington Direct, we provide a large variety of child care cribs that meet safety standards and regulations of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Simply contact us to get more information on safety compliant child care cribs.

Non-compliant Cribs Disposal and Resale Drop-side rail cribs, as well as crib hardware that does not meet the safety standards of the CPSC, are to be disposed of in a manner that does not allow for the crib to be reassembled. These cribs are not to be sold or given to others for use in either childcare of home care.