Safe Alternatives for Baby and Child

We worry about exposing our kids to numerous chemicals in our homes but what about daycare and preschool?

Most daycares and preschools have PVC sleeping mats, use toxic chemical cleaning products, pesticides and most toys are made of PVC plastics.

For special events, does your preschool encourage good eating habits with nutritional treats or snacks?

Help has arrived for parents and childcare providers who want to choose environments that are safe, healthy, and free of chemicals for our little loved ones.

Eco-Healthy Childcare Program

The Oregon Environmental Council put together an Eco-Healthy Childcare program encouraging centers to take measures like buying only nontoxic art supplies, restricting aerosol sprays and chlorine bleach, and no wall-to-wall carpeting. The program has so far endorsed more than 1100 day care centers, most of them in Oregon. But we don’t all live in Oregon, so SafBaby has brought you this article, so that as parents, we can encourage safe surroundings where ever we may be!

Childcare facilities qualify as “Eco-Healthy” by completing a checklist that highlights 25 simple steps that ensure a safe place for children. Here is that list, and continue reading to see how we offer tips to help you help your preschool /daycare become greener and safer too.

Can I Afford Green Childcare ?

One of the greenest and probably one of the most expensive Eco Day Care Center is located in Atlanta, called Fio360. This exceptional child care center uses only custom-made formaldehyde-free organic mattresses, imported organic wool rugs, environmentally friendly cleaning products , organic wooden toys and provides organic and hormone-free meals made by an in-house chef. The Atlanta center uses no PVC plastic products and their floors emit radiant heat. Kids here open the day with an affirmation, take yoga lessons and recycling classes, eat meals like red pepper quiche and then round out the afternoon with a massage to help them sleep.

Although most parents, us included, can’t afford a green daycare or preschool as the Fio360, let’s not get discouraged. There’s a lot we can do, here are some tips (click here to print this list , and with sweet encouragement, offer it to your daycare center or preschool):

Encouraging a Safe Daycare and Preschool

10 THINGS YOU CAN DO:

1. Ask your daycare/preschool to switch to greener cleaners. These cleaners would include hand soaps in the bathroom and whatever they use to maintain the cleanliness of the space. There are many inexpensive and effective ones like Dr. Bronner’s, Seventh Generation, baking soda and white vinegar, and many more. This is a small start but an important one.  A non-toxic and kid safe product formulated specifically for TOY CLEANING is Fields Organic’s Tea Tree Toy Cleaner.  We love that this product is biodegradable, no VOCs, and cruelty-free.
2. Ask your daycare/preschool to use more FSC-certified wooden toys with non-toxic paint! Getting them used through Craigslist.com, Ebay.com, recycled children’s stores, and garage sales will help keep costs at bay. You could also organize a “recycle your toy” event and ask parents to bring any wooden/non-toxic toys and books for your daycare center or preschool. What a great way for our children to learn how to give and share! They should feel great to bring in their donation to support their school.
3. Ask your daycare/preschool to use only non-toxic and cruelty-free pest control. Are your kids playing outside? Poison for bugs is poison for our kids! Pesticides destroy natural predators and helpful microorganisms.
   Please visit Greenhome.com for more information on biological and non-toxic pest control.
4. Organize a fund raiser with other parents, ask companies to donate safe and non-toxic products like wool rugs, wooden toys, etc… Maybe you’ll be able to raise enough money to replace the synthetic wall-to-wall carpet with nice non-toxic cork, bamboo, hardwood or linoleum floors. If the walls need to be repainted, please don’t forget to use non-toxic (VOC-free) paint.
5. Ask a local musician/yoga teacher/cook/artist to volunteer an hour a week and teach our kids something new. Get involved, make it more fun for the kids.
6. Ask your daycare/preschool to become Eco-Healthy Certified (print list here).
7. Ask your daycare/preschool to buy healthy organic food. Maybe you can assist with meal planning, see if you can get lower prices at local market or ask a local health food chef to volunteer a day to make healthier meals for a lower budget (as Jamie Oliver, my hero, did!)
8. Does your daycare/preschool recycle? If not, what better time to start then NOW. It’s never to early to learn about recycling and doing this at home as well as at daycare and preschool is a must. Remember, our little ones learn from what we do, not by what we say.
9. Does your daycare/preschool use plastic plates/utensils and cups? Too much waste. Another bad example we set for our kids. It’s unnecessary trash that goes straight into landfills. Encourage your daycare to use bamboo, BPA-free plastic, stainless steel or melamine plates, cups and utensils (raise money at fundraiser above!). By contacting the manufacturer, your daycare/preschool may be able to get a great discount! Each parents can also bring their own BPA-free bottles/sippy cups, plates and utensils and wash them every evening.
10. Another little change that makes a huge difference. Ask your daycare/preschool to lose the shoes before entering. Most household dirt and contaminants are tracked in by your shoes, including lead from soil. Shoes off at the door for everyone = a healthier environment for our little ones who love to roll around and be silly on the floors we walk on.

Green Childcare and Preschools For All

Doesn’t that make you feel good? Like Gandhi said “We are the change we wish to see in the world!” If all parents get involved, your daycare or preschool will be the “fanciest and greenest” in town without the big bucks!

If you have any additional simple yet effective tips for encouraging a greener daycare and preschool, we would LOVE to have your comment. Also, if you make a difference with these tips, we’d truly LOVE to hear that too.

Power to the parents who care to encourage change!

Technorati Tags: Eco-Healthy Childcare Program, preschool, Green Childcare, environmentally friendly cleaning products, wooden toys, PVC plastic products

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