Summer is in full swing! Along with the fun the season brings, young children, expectant parents, and those who care for them face many decisions about how to safely navigate heat, poor air quality, extreme weather, and more. Compared to the general population, infants, young children, and pregnant people are more susceptible to the effects of poor air quality.
It is important for child care providers to know how to manage these environmental risks as they plan to keep children and staff safe. Child care providers are also in a unique position to support families by providing resources and guidance to keep children safe while at home.
Below are some common questions caregivers might have about how to protect young children and families if the air quality is poor, and resources that will help answer them:
- How can I monitor my local air quality to ensure that it is safe outside for infants, young children, and pregnant people?
- The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) AirNow Air Quality Index (AQI) Map displays the air quality in your local area and recommends precautions to take when needed. The AirNow Fire and Smoke Map also provides real-time information about where wildfires are happening across the U.S. and Canada and how they might affect your local air quality.
- As you’re planning the day ahead for yourself or those in your care, access the map on the go and sign up for notifications about local air quality alerts using the AirNow smartphone app.
- AirNow also has easy guidance for when and how outdoor physical activity should be modified for young children and pregnant people based on air quality: if the air quality is at orange level or above (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or 101–150) these groups should reduce prolonged and heavy exertion outdoors. EPA also offers educational activities and materials on air quality (recommended for children ages 4 to 7).
- What steps can I take to protect infants, young children, and staff on days with poor air quality or extreme heat?
- This resource from the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood includes information about protecting the health of children and staff on days with extreme heat or compromised air quality.
- Where can I find programmatic guidance about poor air quality and other disasters- before and after they happen?
- Visit the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Community Services (OCS) Disaster Flexibilities Hub. This resource has live weather updates and tools from Ready.gov and Ready.gov/es (en español) to prepare for wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, drought, extreme heat, and more. Resources for Head Start providers and early childhood caregivers include ACF Emergency and Disaster Waivers and Flexibilities, Head Start ECLKC Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery Guidance, and Child Care Resources for Disasters and Emergencies. Programs that receive OCS funding can also visit the Disaster Flexibilities Hub for guidance on what types of flexibilities their programs have following climate emergencies.
- Where can SNAP and WIC be used when poor air quality and other disasters cause families to evacuate?
- When poor air quality impacts communities, families sometimes face the difficult decision of evacuating their homes. For families who rely on nutrition assistance programs, relocating can cause confusion about how to transfer SNAP and WIC benefits across state lines. EBT can be used across state lines for SNAP and CalFresh. Families who have WIC can continue to use their benefits until their certification expires. Families must have proof that they received WIC benefits in another area or state and should contact their WIC office with any questions.
- How do I talk with young children and families about wildfires and other climate change issues?
- Trinka and Sam: The Big Fire is both a coloring book and story, with a parents’ guide at the end of the book with prompts for how to talk about wildfires and their aftermath with families. The book is available in Spanish, Portuguese, and Greek. See a similar story about hurricanes by the same authors.
We encourage child care providers and those supporting networks of providers to share these resources broadly. Climate change is an early childhood issue and programs supporting young children and their families need tools to be responsive and climate-resilient. These resources can be helpful not only during the summer, but year-round as communities around the globe face an increasing number of extreme weather events.
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Looking for helpful resources to protect yourself and the children and families in your care from extreme heat this summer? Find them here.
