Global Infant Safe Sleep (GISS) Center and Baby 1st Network have officially established a partnership to expand the organizations’ efforts to reverse the growing rate of infant mortality, empower communities and broaden bereavement resources and services for Ohio families who have lost a child to sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
With three times more infants dying in Ohio’s African American communities compared to white communities, the GISS Center and Baby 1st Network are positioned to address the disparities by educating the community about infant mortality, SUID and infant safe sleep practices. The partnership will allow the two organizations to combine 40 years of SIDS education and bereavement services with Baby 1st Network with a group of consultants and public health professionals known for community, grassroots safe sleep education activities and events in African American communities across the nation – the GISS Center.
Beginning in March, Stacy Scott, PhD, executive director of the GISS Center, will lead the partnership activities and programs, working closely with Baby 1st Network’s executive director Leslie Redd.
“The partnership will be focused on two main objectives,” said Dr. Scott. “The first will be to address disparities in bereavement support provided to families, which ultimately impacts mental health, substance abuse and family stability. Secondly, we want to expand our community network to build capacity and sustainability, providing tools and support to communities in Ohio who are willing and able to assist in keeping our babies safe.”
Baby 1st Network is well known in Ohio for serving parents who have experienced a loss of an infant. The mission of the Baby 1st Network is to provide educational material and support for all who work to reduce Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). We are committed to providing the tools necessary to empower and engage communities to keep their infants safe. We also provide compassionate support services to families who have experienced the sudden unexpected loss of an infant. In recent years, under Redd, Baby 1st Network has begun to expand its outreach by sponsoring community mini-grants and furnishing onesies to hospital across the state.
Since 2016, the GISS Center has sponsored numerous events and partnered with national organizations to provide safe sleep training and cribs to families in need.
“We recognize the public health dilemma when it comes to working with communities and promoting safe infant sleep messaging,” said Redd. “We’re excited to be working together with Dr. Scott and the GISS Center team as we look forward to the next 50 years of Baby 1st Network helping families and working to save our babies.”