Early learning and day care facilities are charged with taking care of our youngest and most vulnerable population. The presence of air and water-related contaminants can be particularly dangerous to our children’s physical and cognitive development. Our staff is trained by the Children’s Environmental Healthy Network (CEHN) to provide assistance along with expertise, tools, and financing to address and, if need be, mitigate problem areas.

We encourage all early learning center directors and staff to learn about environmental exposures and adopt the Eco-Healthy Childcare Checklist® developed by the CEHN.

How to Get Started for Key Issues

Lead

What’s at stake?

Municipalities across the country are being impacted by the presence of lead in pipes. Children exposed to lead are at risk of severely impeded cognitive development and lifelong learning challenges.

Lead contamination may also be present in soil, dust, and paint chips.

Get learning tools

Fact sheets and online resources are available.

Talk to the right people

Let us help inform your decision-making.

Build your team

Collaborate with other early learning centers looking to assess and meet environmental challenges.

Get Technical and Financial Support

We are providing free water testing kits and can provide partial funding for any remediation.

Radon

What’s at stake?

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. The EPA estimates that nearly 70,000 classrooms in the United States have dangerous short-term levels of radon gas. It can only be detected through testing.

Get learning tools

Fact sheets and online resources are available.

Talk to the right people

Let us help inform your decision-making.

Build your team

Collaborate with other early learning centers looking to assess and meet environmental challenges.

Get Technical and Financial Support

We are providing free Radon testing kits and can provide partial funding for any remediation.

Air Quality

What’s at stake?

Asthma
Asthma is the leading cause of absenteeism in U.S. schools. Students with chronic absenteeism due to asthma are twice as likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability.

Mold
Sinus inflammation, nosebleeds, respiratory diseases, and irritation of existing asthma symptoms and allergies can result from mold.

Fragrance-free
Chemicals found in perfumes and personal care products can cause breathing difficulties, neurologic responses (such as dizziness and headaches), skin irritations, and allergic reactions.

Integrated Pest Management
Toxic pesticide exposure can lead to a variety of short and long-term health concerns, including asthma and allergy attacks, neurological impairment, and immune system damage.

Green Cleaning
25 percent of cleaning and maintenance products used in schools and early learning centers are toxic and can lead to poor indoor air quality, cancer, asthma, reproductive disorders and other illnesses and diseases.

Get learning tools

Fact sheets and online resources are available.

Talk to the right people

Let us help inform your decision-making.

Build your team

Collaborate with other early learning centers looking to assess and meet environmental challenges.

Want to Start With a Different Issue?

There is no shortage of opportunities and challenges facing early learning facilities. Visit our Resources Page to learn more.

Find Resources

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Success Stories

Scores of schools and school districts across our region are taking positive steps to help their students thrive in healthier environments. From testing for radon to cleaning green, discover how their successes can be applied to early learning facilities.

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One Simple Step

That You Can Take TODAY To Make Schools Healthy

Keep Children Indoors on Air Quality Action Days
Action Days, usually occurring during warmer weather, are days when the air is expected to be unhealthy to breathe. Therefore, children should not be permitted to play outdoors for gym or recess.