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Protecting Children in the Heartland: EPA Region 7, Partners and Public Observe Children’s Health Month throughout October

Release Date: 10/01/2014
Contact Information: David Bryan, 913-551-7433, bryan.david@epa.gov

Environmental News

NEWS MEDIA ADVISORY

(Lenexa, Kan., Oct. 1, 2014) - Nearly 6.8 million U.S. children have asthma and 4 million homes have children who are being exposed to high levels of lead. Thus the reason EPA, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics, is observing Children’s Health Month in October to focus attention on ways to keep children healthy. EPA Region 7 encourages parents, teachers and health providers to work together to “Protect Children in the Heartland” by promoting healthy environments where children live, learn and play.

Since 1928, the President of the United States has proclaimed the first Monday in October as National Child Health Day as requested by a joint resolution of Congress. In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics established October as Child Health Month in order to focus national attention on children’s health issues.

EPA’s mission is to preserve the environment for generations to come and to protect the public health in the places where people live, work, learn and play. Ensuring that children are not exposed to toxins and pollution or other environmental threats in their homes, in their schools, or anywhere else, is central to that work.

To learn more about children's environmental health, visit EPA’s Office of Children's Health Protection web page.

EPA offers a variety of free online resources to promote awareness and understanding of children’s environmental health, including a Tips Calendar, Student Curriculum, Healthy Schools Toolkit and publications.

EPA’s Children’s Health Month Daily Tips Calendar (PDF) (1 pg., 292K, About PDF) provides daily tips about actions that parents, teachers and caregivers can take to help provide a healthy environment for children.

Also online, EPA’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Environment Student Curriculum is a nine-lesson program designed to encourage kids (ages 9-13) to actively explore the environments in which they live and play. Each 45-minute lesson empowers kids to improve the environment for their community and to reduce their environmental risks. The curriculum, ideal for after-school programs and clubs, features:

• Easy-to-use lesson plans for ages 9-13
• Hands-on activities for indoors and outdoors
• Downloadable posters and cards
• Materials for kids to take home

EPA Region 7’s Healthy Schools Toolkit is a free web-based resource designed to help school administrators and service providers keep school buildings and facilities clean, green and healthy. It is also intended to help parents and students better understand the importance of maintaining environmentally safe and healthy schools. The virtual toolkit’s downloadable materials are suitable for a wide range of audiences, from school superintendents and building custodians to community organizations and student groups, and can be adapted for classroom curriculum use.

EPA also offers more than two dozen free Children’s Health Publications that can be downloaded for general information and to promote awareness of children’s health issues.