Safe sleep

23 February 2026: this policy has been updated to cover all tamariki we work with, not just those in care.

This policy applies to all tamariki under 2 years of age who we are involved with or who are in the care or custody of the chief executive, including those living with care partners.

All tamariki under 2 years of age who are in the care or custody of the chief executive must sleep in a safe, age-appropriate bed at all times. 

A safe sleep environment for tamariki under 2 years is defined as tamariki:

• sleeping in their own safe sleeping space for every sleep
• being placed on their back, with their faces clear
• having a firm, flat mattress that has no gaps between the frame and the mattress
• having nothing in the bed that might cover their face (pillow, toys, blankets, clothing).

To ensure that every sleep is a safe sleep, tamariki should be placed in a clean, firm wahakura, pēpi-pod®, cot or bassinette.

Guidance: Safe sleeping and Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI)

Resources | SUDI Prevention Coordination Service

Safe sleep for your baby | KidsHealth NZ

Safe sleep conversations must occur whenever we are involved with tamariki for any reason.

Kaimahi must:

• engage whānau or family in conversations about safe sleep practices, including SUDI prevention, and the reason this is important – that is, unsafe sleeping spaces and bed sharing (adults and siblings) can result in death
• explore current sleeping arrangements and any supports that may be needed
• provide information, guidance and resources in partnership with Māori and Pacific providers where appropriate
• record the discussion and any supports offered in CYRAS.

We must assess the willingness and capacity of prospective caregivers to provide a safe sleep environment at the time of assessment.

If we know that a caregiver will have tamariki under 2 years of age living in their care, the assessment must include:

• SUDI prevention information
• wahakura, pēpi-pod®, bed and bedding checks
• an assessment of how the prospective caregiver will comply with safe sleeping advice and recommended actions to reduce SUDI.

This assessment of the safe sleep living arrangements must be recorded in CYRAS.

Assessing the home environment of applicants

The safe sleep environment must be assessed and discussed when te tamaiti is placed with a caregiver.

Policy: Care arrangements

The social worker placing te tamaiti must assess and ensure that the caregiver has a safe age-appropriate bed for te tamaiti at the time of placement – this includes that the caregiver has an understanding of SUDI and what they need to do to reduce the risk when staying away from their usual home. The assessment of safe sleep living arrangements at the time of placement must be recorded in CYRAS.

If the caregiver does not have a safe age-appropriate bed for te tamaiti, Oranga Tamariki must support them to provide this.

Caregiver support plan

When the caregiver support plan is reviewed, we must consider how we can support the caregiver to create and maintain a safe sleeping environment. This must be documented in the caregiver support plan. This should be reflected in the All About Me plan for te tamaiti.

Policy: Caregiver support