Families with infants in Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre can pick up a free crib and learn safe-sleep practices at a workshop Tuesday, Oct. 27.

The Pasadena Public Health Department and Elizabeth House will host the free Safe Sleep Education Workshop from 11 a.m. to noon at Elizabeth House, 559 N. El Molino Ave., as Pasadena Now first reported. The training is open to anyone, but the free supplies go to residents of the three communities who are pregnant or have a baby under 1.

Participants who complete the hour-long session receive free safe-sleep items, according to the city. The department's broader Safe Sleep Education Program provides swaddles, wearable blankets, onesies and educational booklets. Families who are Medi-Cal eligible and do not already have a safe sleep environment can also qualify for a free crib.

The workshop lands during Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month. The health department disclosed in an Oct. 13 news release that eight sudden unexpected infant deaths occurred in Pasadena over the past 10 years. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) counted about 3,400 such deaths in 2024. Sudden unexpected infant death remains the leading cause of death for babies 1 to 12 months old, according to the CDC.

The stakes are real.

The department urges caregivers to follow the "ABCs" of safe sleep: babies sleep alone, on their back, in a crib. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reinforced that guidance when it updated its recommendations in 2022.

"If we've learned anything, it's that simple is best: babies should always sleep in a crib or bassinet, on their back, without soft toys, pillows, blankets or other bedding," said Dr. Rachel Moon, lead author of the AAP's policy statement. Moon, a pediatrics professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, made the remarks when the 2022 guidelines were released.

The Oct. 27 session uses the Safe Sleep Ambassador training developed by Cribs for Kids, a Pittsburgh-based national organization. The department launched its Safe Sleep Education Program in partnership with Cribs for Kids and the Pasadena Child Health Foundation, which provided 2025 grants to both Elizabeth House and the health department.

Elizabeth House, founded in 1994, provides shelter and support to pregnant and parenting women. It is the only residential program in the San Gabriel Valley that welcomes pregnant mothers and their children under 5, according to the nonprofit.

Public health nurse Jenna Feraud is the contact for questions: (626) 744-7646 or [email protected]. Families can also call the department's resource line at 800-304-0015. Accessibility requests should go to (626) 744-7311 or [email protected] at least 72 hours before the event.

Registration details are available through Pasadena Now's report or by calling Feraud's line.