This information is brought to you by Slough Borough Council on behalf of Community Playthings UK, for the attention of all Early Years Settings.
Statement regarding the use of Dream Coracles for babies under 12 months:
In 2012 Community Playthings designed a product to help nurseries provide a beautiful and safe sleep environment that is good for children and staff. Currently almost 3000 early years settings in England use the Dream Coracle.
Sadly, on 29 June 2026, the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed to us that floor beds (including the Dream Coracle) should not be used for babies under 12 months in early years settings. They expect to make this a requirement from September.
We have provided an abundance of evidence to the DfE about the product’s safety – that it meets the relevant parts of the standards, that it has been independently evaluated by three testing houses, and that over 10,000 are in use today without any reported safety incidents. The Dream Coracle also meets the Safer Sleep guidance by providing a flat, firm and waterproof surface.
Despite this, the DfE has gone ahead with their recommendation. We understand this is very disappointing news for the many early years providers who have relied on the Dream Coracle or other floor beds to support the growing independence of older babies while saving precious space and reducing the risks associated with lifting these children into cots.
To be clear, this does not mean we have concerns about the Dream Coracle’s safety for babies between 6-20 months. We still recommend it for babies from 6 months in settings not subject to DfE’s guidance.
Earlier messaging by the DfE referenced a fatal incident in 2015 involving a “similar product,” but we can reassure our customers that no child has ever died or been seriously injured because of a Community Playthings cot or Dream Coracle. The tragic incident the DfE referred to involved a poorly designed bedside sleeper used at home for a 7-week-old baby.
We have asked the DfE to at least give providers a year to switch from floor beds to cots, as expecting compliance in such a short period is unfair. Unfortunately, they have decided not to do this, and they expect that settings will be in compliance by September.