About Us

Safe Start: Infant and Child Health & Safety

1961 – 8 bereaved parents formed what would become the SIDS Foundation of Washington, later Northwest Infant Survival & SIDS Alliance (NISSA) as a way to reach out to the families affected by, what was known at the time as “crib death.”
2001 – The SIDS Foundation of Washington becomes NISSA. continuing the mission set forth by our founders to find and support those who have lost infants.
2012 – Liz Montgomery, a bereaved mother, once supported by NISSA, forms Inland Northwest SIDS Foundation to provide support services and prevention education to Idaho and Eastern Washington.
2019 – NISSA and Inland Northwest SIDS Foundation merge to form an updated and stronger NISSA. Serving the entire Northwest region, providing emotional support services to bereaved families and world-class, free prevention education and training to parents, caregivers and medical professionals.
2019 – Safe Start is formed to be the prevention education and training arm of NISSA, while Healing Together is formed to be NISSA’s grief support arm.  Safe Start offers safe infant sleep classes, car seat safety classes and more to parents, grandparents, caregivers, and medical professionals.  All of our educational classes and training are evidence-based and based up the latest up to date medical recommendations.