New rules that took effect Tuesday change the safety standards for every new and used crib available to parents, consignment stores and child-care centers.
The new regulation, issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in December, prohibits the sale or donation of any crib made before July 23, 2010. Cribs made between then and Tuesday must have a certificate of compliance to show they meet new federal requirements. Cribs made after Tuesday must meet the new standards.
“We knew this day was coming,” said Todd Frick, owner of Kid to Kid consignment store in Aurora. “Three months ago, we stopped taking cribs altogether.”
Frick said he used to sell 20 to 25 cribs a year.
“Not having cribs has created more floor space,” Frick said. “I just have to sell five or 15 things to make the money instead of one thing.”
Because of the new restrictions, the Bridgeway Home for pregnant teenagers in Lakewood stopped accepting crib donations several months ago, said office assistant Cathy Yosha.
New moms now must leave the program to live on their own without cribs that were once donated to Bridgeway.
“It probably won’t be too costly for us, but it will be for our former residents,” Yosha said.
Just Between Friends, a children’s and maternity consignment-event host, anticipates an 80 percent to 90 percent drop in crib sales for the next six months to a year.
The new standards ban drop- sides, which have been associated with more than 30 infant deaths since 2000, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission news release.
New cribs also must have stronger mattress supports, have more durable hardware and pass more rigorous testing.
The Denver Rescue Mission has refused to accept drop-side cribs since December, when it first learned of the restrictions, spokeswoman Alexxa Tavlarides said.
She said the Rescue Mission will ease into the restrictions by not accepting any cribs for a while. The mission in the past received about 50 donated cribs a year. Calls asking for them come in every week, Tavlarides said.
Hollie Frank, a mom in Highlands Ranch, said she’s not too concerned about the new crib regulations.
She said she’ll be using the same crib for her 7-month-old, Elijah, as she did her two older kids, now 8 and 5. “The way I look at it is, it’s been a great crib,” Frank said. “If it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it.”
Analisa Romano: 303-954-1698 or aromano@denverpost.com
