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 extreme heat.
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 from extreme heat and resources to help answer them:
- How do I know when it’s too hot for infants and young children to play outside?
- Check out this informative Child Care Weather Watch Poster from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. This resource tells us how to determine if the weather is suitable for outdoor play for infants and young children, both when it’s cold and hot outside.
- How can I find heat-related health information specific to my community?
- Type your ZIP code into the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Heat and Health Index (HHI) tool. This tool helps you prepare for hot weather, prevent heat-related illnesses, and learn about the effects of heat on health.
- How do I know when extreme heat is coming to my community?
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) HeatRisk Forecast color-coded map shows a seven-day heat forecast and health risks. CDC also has a HeatRisk Dashboard with resources for high-heat days, local air quality details, and actions to stay safe. The CDC has guidance for heat health, focused on children with asthma, people who are pregnant, and people with cardiovascular disease.
- Looking for heat updates in your inbox? Check out the Monthly Climate Outlook Reports by the HSS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) with forecasts for heat, drought, wildfire, hurricanes, and more for your region. Use this link (the “OCCHE” subscription option) to sign up for the monthly reports via email. See this link for the August report.
- What heat-related emergencies are happening in my community?
- The OCCHE and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) NEMSIS Heat-Related EMS Activation Surveillance Dashboard has a map and graph with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data about heat-related emergencies. The information is useful for knowing heat-related risks in your area.
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 about air quality? Find them here.
