How to get a free crib or safe sleep space

The "free crib" results online are mostly Facebook groups and Reddit threads. That can work, but a stranger's old crib is exactly the thing safety experts tell you to be careful with. The better route is a program that hands out new portable cribs and shows you how to use them safely.

Here's where to find one, what to ask, and what a safe sleep space needs to look like.

Where to get a free crib or portable crib

1. A Cribs for Kids partner near you. Cribs for Kids works through more than 2,000 partner organizations and has given out over 1 million cribs. Its locator lists partners by zip code or city. All partners teach safe sleep, and many give portable cribs to families who qualify, but each sets its own requirements and some offer education only ^[1].
2. Your Medicaid health plan. Several plans give a portable crib, or money for one, as an extra benefit. They usually require a prenatal visit or joining a care management program first (see the table below).
3. Your state or county health department. Ask whether it runs a safe sleep program or works with Cribs for Kids. You can also call 211 and ask for "safe sleep" or "crib" programs. 211 specialists help you find local resources 24/7, and calls are confidential ^[17].
4. A home visiting program. Federally funded home visiting programs pair pregnant women and parents of young children with trained home visitors, who connect families to resources such as WIC and Medicaid ^[15]. Ask your visitor about safe sleep supplies.
5. WIC. WIC doesn't give cribs, but WIC staff make referrals to other services ^[16]. Ask at your appointment.
6. The hospital or clinic where you get prenatal care. Ask the social worker or care coordinator well before your due date.

Ask early. Some programs require you to attend a safe sleep class, show proof of income or be a certain number of weeks pregnant.

Medicaid plans that give a portable crib (October 2026)

These are the plans we found offering a crib or crib money on their own member pages on October 9, 2026. Our free baby stuff guide has the full table of plan extras in 9 states.

If your plan isn't listed, call the member services number on your ID card and ask what extra benefits it offers pregnant members.

What a safe sleep space looks like

The American Academy of Pediatrics' 2022 safe sleep policy recommends back sleeping, a firm, non-inclined sleep surface, room-sharing without bed-sharing, and no soft bedding ^[2]. In practice:

• Use a crib, bassinet, portable crib or play yard that meets CPSC safety standards ^[3]. A portable crib from a program counts.
• Firm and flat. The surface shouldn't indent when your baby lies on it, and any surface that inclines more than 10 degrees isn't safe for sleep ^[3].
• Bare is best. Use a mattress made for that crib, with a tight fit and a fitted sheet only ^[3]. CPSC's guidance is the same: nothing but a fitted sheet ^[8].
• Back to sleep, every time. Put your baby on their back for naps and at night ^[3].
• Share the room, not the bed. Keep your baby's sleep space in your room, close to your bed, for at least the first 6 months ^[3].

If your baby falls asleep in a car seat, stroller, swing or carrier, move them to a firm sleep surface on their back as soon as you can ^[3].

Cribs and products to skip

Drop-side cribs. The AAP says not to use cribs with drop rails ^[4]. When CPSC adopted its crib standards, the voluntary standard behind them already limited movable sides in a way that effectively eliminated the traditional drop-side design ^[6]. In CPSC's review of 35 crib deaths from structural problems between November 2007 and April 2010, 18 were related to drop-side failures ^[6].

Cribs made before the 2011 standard. Federal crib standards became mandatory on June 28, 2011, and they apply to the sale and resale of used cribs as well as new ones ^[5]. A crib made before then wasn't required to meet them, so skip it unless you can confirm it does.

Antique and hand-me-down cribs of unknown history. Old cribs often have slats spaced wider than the 2 3/8-inch maximum and may have lead paint ^[4]. Don't use a crib that's broken, is missing hardware or has no instructions ^[3].

Crib bumpers. The Safe Sleep for Babies Act, signed May 16, 2022, made crib bumpers banned hazardous products regardless of when they were made. That includes padded bumpers, vinyl bumper guards and vertical slat covers, but not non-padded mesh liners ^[7]. The AAP adds that bumpers pose a risk of suffocation, strangulation and entrapment ^[4].

Inclined sleepers. The same law banned inclined sleepers for infants ^[7]. CPSC warns that products angled more than 10 degrees, such as rockers, gliders, soothers and swings, should never be used for infant sleep ^[8].

What to ask when you call a program

Have these questions ready when you reach a Cribs for Kids partner, health department or health plan:

• Do you give portable cribs to families, or only safe sleep education?
• Who qualifies? Do I need proof of income, Medicaid or WIC?
• Do I need to take a class first, and is it online or in person?
• How far along do I need to be, and can I get it after the baby is born?
• Will you ship it, or do I pick it up?
• Does it come with a fitted sheet, or should I buy one made for that model?

If the first place you call doesn't give cribs, ask who does. Cribs for Kids notes that partners who only teach safe sleep may know of other programs in your area ^[1].

Related help

A crib is one piece of getting ready. For other free essentials, see our guides to getting a free car seat and getting free diapers, or start with the full list of free baby stuff from real programs. If you're on Medicaid, check your state's rules on our Medicaid for pregnancy page.