florida child care programs
go green...
by Gerie Nasche, Contributing Editor, Program
Florida now has more than 170 Eco-Healthy Child Care (EHCC) providers serving more than 8,000 children! Eco-Healthy Child Care Centers, which create environments for children that are safe and eco-healthy, are now available in more than 1,000 locations across the US and Canada!
A 2009 EHCC survey of national providers that are Eco-Healthy certified demonstrates these providers have healthier children and staff, improved marketing, and the ability to educate parents on the benefits of a healthier environment, both in the child care setting and in the child’s home environment.
The Early Learning Coalition of Orange County hosted an Eco-Healthy Train-the-Trainer event at Community Coordinated Care for Children, in Orlando. This event was attended by more than 50 coalition staff and other participants, who will share this information by conducting training on becoming an Eco-Healthy child care provider with programs and providers in their local communities.
Eco-Healthy providers commit to reducing children's exposure to toxins and other environmental health hazards. An early learning coalition can support child care facilities interested in becoming “Eco-Healthy” by distributing flyers and posting a link to Eco-Healthy Child Care on the coalition’s website. Providers begin the process by completing a checklist that highlights 25 simple steps that ensure a safe place for children. A facility that qualifies for certification receives an endorsement certificate and a poster that lets parents and others know of the facility’s efforts, and commitment to being Eco-Healthy.
Take a look at the Eco-Healthy Child Care website for tips on how to go Eco-Healthy, signing up to request a checklist, guides to safer plastics and green cleaning recipes, and a map of eco-healthy child care providers in Florida.
