How to donate a cot

Cot safety guidelines

 St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums can rehome a cot that complies with Safety Standard for household cots: AS/NZS 2172:2003, with a maximum age of 10 years from date of manufacture. The mattress measurements and date of manufacture should be stamped on the cot base. If the cot was bought overseas (anywhere other than NZ), it might not comply with the standard.

Please leave us a message with the make, model and date of manufacture or a picture of the cot base to confirm we can rehome your cot because some cots have been recalled.

It is critical for safety that the cot is properly assembled by following the instructions and using the correct connecting bolts, capping nuts, glide pins and other parts. When it comes time to give your cot away, please use the assembly instructions to check that you have all the parts and secure them along with the assembly instructions in a thick zip lock bag taped with clear packing tape (not masking tape) to the base of the cot. 

Cots must be disassembled for easy transportation to our HQ. Please let us know if any parts are missing. 

Cot Mattress

A cot that meets the mandatory safety standards will also have the recommended mattress size stamped on the base slat which helps us fit the correct mattress. We can rehome a used mattress if it fits your cot, is in great condition with no marks or stains, is less than 10 years old, and has a label with the mattress dimensions printed on it.

Please cover your mattress with a couple of old fitted cot sheets to keep it clean in transit. We would love all your cot linen too if you are ready to pass it on, and mattress protectors are also very valuable to us. 

We do not need any cot mattresses without the cot to go with it. 

Childcare Centre Cots

We do not rehome cots manufactured for use in childcare centres. These cost are made to a different (and lower) standard than the household standard.  In this setting babies are being continuously monitored with a high staffing ratio. 

Household Standard cots are designed as a safe place to sleep or play for babies and unsupervised older, larger babies/toddlers. 

Childcare centre cots normally have a smaller mattress size. 

Cot safety

Cot safety is a big deal. It's a big deal because when a cot that has been put together incorrectly collapses, a small baby could be seriously injured. 

Cots with movable parts, like a drop side, need extra care and attention. The drop side of a cot will be used repeatedly, with some degree of force, over an extended period of time. Drop sides can become loose due to the length of use, the quality of the timber, hardware and fastenings used. Cots with drop-down sides were banned in 2012 in the United States, where they have been blamed for the death of at least 46 American children in the past decade.

Cots that are re-assembled and used again can become less safe as a result of missing or loose fittings or damaged components and materials. Please check your cot carefully, check that any plastic housings for the drop side pins have not perished or become brittle with time. If there is a screw missing or bent, it will have to be replaced before it can be rehomed.

Supplying household cots that do not comply with the mandatory standard could make you liable for heavy fines under Victorian Consumer Law, should a child be injured. For more details, view the CAV and ACCC websites.

For more information

Product Safety Australia (a division of the ACCC)  - 1300 302 502 
Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) Toy & Nursery Safety Line - 1300 364 894  
Red Nose (formerly SIDS and Kids) in your state or territory - 1300 998 698
Check for product recalls at www.productsafety.gov.au

Please leave us a message if you have any questions, or find more information on your local branch website:

St Kilda Mums Donate Things list

Geelong Mums Donate Things list

Eureka Mums Donate Things list