PA Eco Healthy Child Care

Leadership and Management (2 points)

PA Eco Healthy Child Care supports Leadership and Management because it is an organized effort to promote environmental health improvements in early childhood education programs. Programs will be making their facilities and programs healthier resulting in a positive impact on the health of the children and program staff.

Through completing professional development courses, programs will focus on creating and maintaining an early childhood learning environment that addresses the range of environmental health topics including but not limited to:

• Air Quality
• Integrated Pest Management
• Chemical Hazards
• Environmental Tobacco Smoke
• Water Quality
• Lead (soil, water, products)
• Sun Safety
• Radon
• Plastics
• Furniture and Carpets
• Playground Equipment
• Noise Pollution
• Art Supplies
• Recycling and Garbage Storage

This will reduce children’s and staff’s exposure to chemicals and pollutants and will support programs that sustain environmentally friendly practices (recycling, reducing paper use, purchasing sustainable products, reducing waste, etc.).

Evidence of annual professional development for staff (minimum 2 hours per person) on environmental health topics, presented by qualified professionals or approved Pennsylvania Key online module.

Assessment using EHCC Checklist Self-endorsement is optional because of cost and extremely limited validation of checklist items. Fee: $25.00 if 1 – 20 children; $50.00 if 21 or more children.

Policies in staff and family handbooks that are consistent with Model Child Health Policies, or equivalent, with inclusion of Caring for Our Children Standards.

Approved training options are listed on the PD Registry (papdregistry.org). Organizations offering approved training opportunities include (but are not limited to):

1. Early Childhood Education Linkage System (ECELS) | ecels-healthychildcarepa.org
   • ECELS Indoor Air Quality Self -Learning Module
   • ECELS Pest Management: Integrated Pest Management Self-Learning Module
2. Children’s Environmental Health Network | cehn.org
   • Eco-Healthy Child Care Online Module
   • Eco-Healthy Child Care Fact Sheets
   • Eco-Healthy Child Care Endorsement
3. Better Kid Care | extension.psu.edu/programs/betterkidcare
   • Healthy Child Care Environments: Pest Prevention Using IPM Self-Learning Module – Better Kid Care
   • Healthy Child Care Environments: Pest Treatment Using IPM – Better Kid Care
   • Reduced Risk Pest Management
   • Start Your IPM Program: Adopt an IPM Policy (for Center Directors) – Self- Learning Module – Better Kid Care
   • Start Your IPM Program (part 2): Implementation (for Center Directors) – Self- Learning Module – Better Kid Care
   • Keep Children Healthy and Safe: Air Quality (for Center Directors) Self-Learning Module – Better Kid Care
   • Keep Children Healthy and Safe: Reuse & Recycle (for Center Directors) Self- Learning Module – Better Kid Care
   • Keep Children Healthy and Safe: Toxins (for Center Directors) Self-Learning Module – Better Kid Care
4. ProSolutions Training | prosolutionstraining.com
   • Eco-Healthy Child Care® – Protecting Children’s Environmental Health
5. Women for a Healthy Environment | womenforahealthyenvironment.org
   • WHE Eco-Healthy Child Care Professional Development in the PD Registry with PQAS credits:
     • Asthma in Schools and Early Learning Center
     • Green Cleaning
     • Modules 1-3: Lead Awareness in Pennsylvania: Reducing Lead Hazards in Early Learning Centers

Supporting Educational Resources include:

• Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs – Chapter 5: Facilities, Supplies, Equipment, and Environmental Health
• Model Child Care Health Policies (MCCHP5) – Section 8 Environmental Health
• Healthy Young Children (6E) – Chapter 13: Creating a Safe Environment
• Healthy Child Care Champions – Free Eco Healthy Assessments in person or virtually with WHE staff, also includes supplies, signage, information and resources, technical support for all participating centers. Healthy Childcare Champions – Women For a Healthy Environment

NOTE: While ECELS is considered to be the primary contact for PA Eco Healthy Child Care (in addition to providing technical support on all matters related to health and safety in ECE programs), we recognize that there are other agencies across the commonwealth who offer support and technical assistance to programs implementing Eco Healthy Child Care practices. Programs can reach out to ECELS with questions or for clarification regarding other approved opportunities.