What is SAFE?

Adequate sleep is critical for growth and development during early childhood. Unfortunately, foster caregivers typically receive little to no information about healthy sleep in children or how to effectively manage the many types of sleep problems children in foster care experience. Sleep and Adjustment in Foster Environments (SAFE) was developed to fill this gap in care. 

SAFE is a brief, trauma-informed, behavioral intervention developed to meet the unique needs of children living in or adopted from foster care to help them thrive across all aspects of their lives. SAFE incorporates evidence-based behavioral sleep practices with a trauma-informed approach to care that places emphasis on calm environments, consistent routines, and children’s connection with their caregivers to facilitate better sleep. 

The 4–session SAFE intervention is delivered via telehealth for the convenience of families. Using child-friendly language, examples, and exercises, children and caregivers work directly with a sleep therapist to improve children’s nighttime sleep so that they can better function during the day. SAFE content includes education about why healthy sleep is so important for children, age-appropriate sleep patterns, how nighttime sleep impacts daytime emotion and behavior, and child-focused strategies to reduce nighttime fear and arousal.