Children’s Network hosts first Safe Beginnings Summit to strengthen infant and family safety across San Bernardino County

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A person is speaking at a podium in a conference room, with an audience seated at tables. A presentation slide about "Shaken Baby Syndrome and Infant Safe Sleep" by San Bernardino County Department of Public Health is projected on a screen. — *Children’s Network Officer Ashley Brooksher addresses attendees during the Safe Beginnings Summit.*

On June 25, Children’s Network of San Bernardino County hosted its inaugural Safe Beginnings Summit, bringing together more than 100 healthcare professionals, educators and community partners to strengthen collaboration around infant safety and family well-being. The summit, hosted at Kaiser Permanente’s Palm Court Conference Center in Fontana, focused on ensuring families throughout San Bernardino County receive consistent, evidence-based education and support from pregnancy through early childhood.

The summit welcomed representatives from healthcare systems including Kaiser Permanente, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC), Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), Molina Healthcare, San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Riverside University Health System Public Health and numerous community organizations. By bringing together home visitors, doulas, social workers, fatherhood programs, lactation professionals, early childhood educators and maternal mental health specialists, the event created opportunities to strengthen referral networks and partnerships across the region.

“This summit is about unity of message, strengthening prevention and ensuring that every touchpoint reinforces the same core protections for children and parents,” said Children’s Network Officer Ashley Brooksher. “It’s inspiring to see healthcare providers from across San Bernardino County collaborate, exchange knowledge and build lasting connections that ensure families have access to the support and resources they need to thrive.”

Throughout the day, subject matter experts presented a wide range of topics affecting families with young children. Sessions covered infant safe sleep practices, prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), child maltreatment prevention, infant transportation safety and car seat education, drowning prevention, fetal movement awareness through the Count the Kicks initiative, breastfeeding support, maternal and paternal mental health, postpartum depression and building inclusive systems of care for neurodivergent parents.

Healthcare providers also learned about evidence-based prevention programs and professional certification opportunities, including National Infant Safe Sleep Certification for hospitals and Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) certification. Additional sessions highlighted local resources such as San Bernardino County Public Health’s low-cost car seat program, safe sleep initiatives, and strategies for improving collaboration among hospitals, healthcare providers, home visiting programs, doulas and community organizations.

One of the day’s most powerful presentations came from Nicole Wood, a California EMT, child safety advocate and mother whose son Robbie suffered a non-fatal drowning in June 2023. Wood shared Robbie’s story and discussed the lifelong impact childhood drowning can have on children, families and caregivers. Following her son’s accident, Wood dedicated herself to advocating for drowning prevention, educating healthcare professionals, schools and community organizations about water safety and childhood drowning prevention.

Wood also discussed her role in advancing California water safety legislation. As a co-author and advocate of Assembly Bill 2146, she helped support legislation that prohibits the manufacture, sale and distribution of wearable flotation devices that are not approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. The legislation is designed to reduce confusion among consumers by ensuring flotation devices marketed for children meet nationally recognized safety standards, helping families avoid products such as non-approved arm floaties that may create a false sense of security.

The Safe Beginnings Summit concluded with a discussion focused on strengthening partnerships and identifying opportunities to better connect families with resources throughout pregnancy, infancy and early childhood. By bringing together healthcare providers, public health professionals, insurers, home visitors, doulas and community organizations, Children’s Network continues to advance coordinated prevention efforts that support healthier families, stronger communities and brighter beginnings for every child.

Additional County Update News – July 9, 2026