England will tighten safety rules for infants' sleep in daycare centers
Starting in September, childcare facilities in England will be prohibited from putting infants under 12 months old to sleep anywhere other than in a crib. The changes are the result of a campaign by Katie and John Migan, whose nine-month-old daughter Genevieve died in 2022 at a daycare center in Chidle Hall, Stockport, according to The Guardian.
The child suffocated after being strapped face-down into a beanbag chair for one hour and 37 minutes. In 2024, the facility’s deputy director, Kate Raffley, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of manslaughter. Surveillance footage was crucial to securing the conviction.
Under current regulations, daycare centers must follow the National Health Service’s recommendations for safe sleep: infants must lie on their backs in a crib or Moses basket. A new government rule will explicitly stipulate that children under one year of age may only be put to sleep in a crib.
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Katie Meehan stated that she was shocked by the scale of dangerous practices that came to light through private communications from daycare centers to the government regarding the planned changes. Some facilities reported that they left children to sleep in strollers due to a lack of space, while others had children sleep outdoors, citing “forest school” models or Scandinavian approaches. In her view, these responses should serve as a “wake-up call” for the regulator and officials.
The regulator, Ofsted, will triple the number of unannounced inspections—to 3,000 visits per year. The government will allocate an additional 8 million pounds for this. Facilities will be inspected every four years instead of every six, and safe naptime will become a mandatory part of every inspection.
Ministers are also considering the possibility of introducing mandatory surveillance cameras in all preschools in England. John Meehan expressed concern that some facility owners may prioritize enrollment numbers and financial incentives over safety.
