South Dakota Safe Sleep Collaborative Wellmark Expansion

South Dakota Safe Sleep Collaborative Wellmark Expansion — 2026

South Dakota DOH and The Wellmark Foundation are funding community-led infant safe-sleep projects. Applicants may request up to $40,000 per organization; applications are due October 16, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST.

FundingApplicants may request up to $40,000 per organization. Additional funding is designated for projects requesting up to $20,000. The Wellmark Foundation will provide up to $120,000 for the grant period, with additional funding from the South Dakota Department of Health through multiple federally allocated funding sources.

DeadlineOctober 16, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST. Applications may be submitted in Word or PDF format by email to the South Dakota Department of Health Infant Health Coordinator named in the official notice.

Last verifiedSeptember 30, 2026

Required next actionEligible South Dakota organizations and community-led teams should review the official RFA, define a data-driven project with a required safe-sleep component, document the community infant-health need and submit a complete Word or PDF application by October 16, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST. Do not position unproven SIDS-prevention devices as the project intervention.

Broad Eligibility

Projects must serve South Dakota residents and communities and must include a safe-sleep component aligned with current American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. Priority is given to communities with disproportionate rates of sudden unexpected infant death, sleep-related infant death and infant mortality.

Atlas Analysis

The South Dakota Department of Health, in partnership with The Wellmark Foundation, is accepting applications for the 2026 South Dakota Safe Sleep Collaborative Wellmark Expansion. The program supports community-led, data-driven projects that promote infant safe sleep, reduce sleep-related infant deaths and improve infant outcomes across South Dakota.

Applicants may request up to $40,000 per organization, with additional funding designated for projects requesting up to $20,000. The Wellmark Foundation will provide up to $120,000 for this grant period, with additional South Dakota Department of Health funding coming through multiple federally allocated funding sources. Project end dates will be no earlier than September 30, 2027.

All proposed projects must serve South Dakota residents and communities, include a safe-sleep component, and follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ current safe-sleep recommendations. Priority will be given to communities experiencing disproportionate rates of sudden unexpected infant death, sleep-related infant death and infant mortality. Focus areas include preventing sleep-related infant mortality, promoting safe sleep, sudden unexpected infant death prevention and infant mortality prevention.

Applications are due October 16, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST and must be emailed in Word or PDF format to the South Dakota Department of Health Infant Health Coordinator identified in the official notice. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Atlas fit note: This is a maternal/infant-health education and prevention opportunity, not a general clinical-technology procurement. The controlling program materials emphasize safe-sleep education, outreach and evidence-based community interventions, and specifically caution that products claiming to prevent SIDS are unproven and can be dangerous. Atlas does not infer an N9+ or QC device fit without an applicant-defined, allowable clinical use case.