BRADENTON, FL – The top two causes of death among children in Florida in 2020 were unsafe sleep and drowning. In an effort to help mitigate these dangers and protect children in Manatee County, the Kayjan Charitable Fund of Manatee Community Foundation (MCF) has awarded a grant of $8,000 to Safe Children Coalition (SCC), to support an educational campaign about water safety and safe sleeping.
In Florida last year, unsafe sleep caused 69 infant deaths, two of which were in Manatee County. Of the statewide deaths, 72% were due to co-sleeping in parents’ beds. In the majority of unsafe sleep deaths, parents rolled over and suffocated their babies.
Last year, 27 children in Florida drowned; three of those deaths occurred in Manatee County. The majority of these children were under the age of 4 – they drowned in a pool or hot tub during a time that they were not being closely supervised by their parents or other caretakers. In 95% of these instances, a swim gate was left open.
The investment from MCF will enable SCC to launch a safe sleep educational campaign and give sleep safety and water safety kits to the parents the organization serves in Manatee County.
“Any child tragedy is one too many,” said SCC President and CEO Brena Slater. “We are grateful to the Manatee Community Foundation for its support in helping to prevent the tragic deaths of young children from unsafe sleeping practices and drownings. We are looking forward to providing the families we serve with critical information and resources to keep their kids safe.”
Child safety is the top priority for Safe Children Coalition. For more about SCC, visit sccfl.org or call 941-371-4799.
About Safe Children Coalition
Safe Children Coalition, Inc. (SCC) serves as the lead agency for community-based care for Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. SCC is a collaboration between local community agencies who provide services to children and families in need. SCC is committed to protecting children, strengthening families, and building community. The core functions provided by SCC include child welfare case management, foster care, adoption, independent living, prevention, diversion, quality management, and support services. Visit sccfl.org or call 941-371-4799.