Pledge #1: CELEBRATE!

Kangaroo Care Day – May 15

Take time to honor, reflect, and raise awareness about the impact of Kangaroo Care. This day is a global reminder that holding babies skin-to-skin helps them heal, grow, survive, and thrive—especially during challenging times. However you choose to participate, your voice and actions matter. Here are ways to mark the day in your unit, organization, or community:

•  Sign Up

Join the global movement by signing the Kangaroo Care Day Map. Show your support and encourage others to join. Sign up here

• Create Space for Reflection

Gather with colleagues, parents, or your team for coffee or a quiet moment to share how Kangaroo Care has made a difference. Reflecting together helps strengthen your commitment.

• Celebrate with Food or Community Time

Host a breakfast, lunch, or cookie break. Share stories, recognize efforts, and offer small tokens of thanks—like stickers, facts on table tents, or a display board with messages of hope.

• Request a Proclamation and Local Media Coverage

Ask local leaders to recognize May 15 as Kangaroo Care Day officially. Use this opportunity to educate your community and elevate awareness.  Use these press release and proclamation templates.

• Share Your Story

Post a photo, quote, or video that shows how Kangaroo Care supports connection, recovery, and growth. Use hashtags like #kangaroocareday #kangaroocare and tag @kangaroocareday.

• Bring Joy to the Unit - be a kangaroo!

Wearing a kangaroo costume is a lighthearted way to spark curiosity and connection. Walk through the unit, gently sharing information about the benefits of Kangaroo Care, inviting families and staff to participate, and offering words of encouragement. A little fun can go a long way in making the day memorable and meaningful for everyone. Make sure to share the photos!

• Organize a Kangaroo-a-thon

Track kangaroo care time across the day, week, or month. Recognize every effort—whether it's five minutes or five hours. Visual tracking tools, such as wall charts or stickers, can help encourage participation.

• Build a Display or Memory Wall

Use a hallway, waiting area, or NICU window to share photos, notes, or stories. Include materials that honor families, clinicians, and the babies they hold.

• Recognize a Kangaroo Care Coach

Nominate a clinician, or team member making a difference in Kangaroo Care. A certificate, small token, or public thank-you can have lasting meaning.

• Offer Bedside Support

Provide books, mirrors, hats, or soothing soaps to support skin-to-skin care. Offer a quiet snack or drink to parents during a session. Help them feel supported and seen.

• Use Interactive Tools
  • Display a countdown to May 15
  • Share Kangaroo Care facts at bedside or breakrooms
  • Offer a short quiz with small prizes
  • Ask staff to wear “Ask me about Kangaroo Care” stickers
  • Invite families to create scrapbook pages or memory notes
  • Visit the free resources for free download, print, and distribute
  • Participate in social media and share photos, stories, reels, videos tagging @kangaroocareday and #kangaroocareday

• Make It Welcoming

Greet families with words of encouragement, a small keepsake, or an opportunity to share their story. Include everyone—parents, staff, volunteers—in your celebration.

• Focus on Education and Safety

 As kangaroo care becomes more frequent, it's essential to recognize and address the risks—such as accidental extubations, line dislodgement, and infant falls. Providing a safety wrap that holds the baby securely, without requiring constant use of the parent's hands, helps protect both the baby and the experience.

Consider The Zaky ZAK® safety wrap to support safe, prolonged, and uninterrupted skin-to-skin care. Designed by a PhD ergonomics and safety engineer and NICU mother, it helps:

• • Maintain the baby’s position and airway to prevent injuries and falls

  • Reduce unplanned interruptions and interventions

  • Allow clinicians and parents quiet, immediate access for care by opening the zipper

When families feel supported and safe, they can focus on what matters most: bonding and healing.

Every act, big or small, helps raise awareness. Thank you for being part of a movement that centers families, nurtures babies, and strengthens care from the very beginning. For free resources, downloads, and posters, visit https://kangaroo.care/pages/resources