Program Expansion
Steps to Program Expansion
If program staff are considering expanding their scope of services it may be helpful to talk to program staff that have expanded their scope of services already, review relevant resources and think through possible steps involved in an expansion effort.
Step 1: Review your existing core set of services to determine whether you are meeting basic services to SIDS families.
Step 2: Review possible expansion criteria. Criteria may include:
- Sudden, unexpected infant/child deaths, including those from accidents, previously undiagnosed illnesses or defects.
- Fetal deaths, or those associated with miscarriages and stillbirths, which may be explained or unexplained.
- Infant/child deaths occurring in hospitals, including those due to birth defects or illness, which were previously-diagnosed and anticipated.
- Infant or child deaths due to homicide.
Step 3: Review possible expansion criteria and considerations. Considerations may include:
- Training and education needs of volunteers and staff
- Resource needs for expansion
- Impact on existing bereavement services
- Impact on existing risk reduction services
- Impact on existing referral process
- Partnerships
- Financial requirements for expansion
