In the 1900s, children were plagued with infectious diseases such as polio, measles, and rubella--now mostly eliminated with vaccines. Today, however, one of the new sources of childhood morbidity and mortality includes environmental hazards to children. At the same time society witnesses soaring rates of childhood cancer, asthma, and other illnesses, the number of toxic chemicals released into the environment has increased dramatically. Children are exposed to hazards in their food, their homes, and their schools--essentially wherever they live, breathe, and play. Since 1/8 of the nation's children lives in California, efforts to protect California's children from environmental hazards could play a significant role in improving their health. With funding from the California Wellness Foundation, the Children’s Environmental Health Network created a broad, well-informed, and well-organized constituency base to ultimately mobilize a statewide movement in California. Other states could look to these successes as a model for action. 1) This presentation will identify key issues affecting California’s children and explain ways to transform the concerns of individuals and their organizations into a coordinated movement. 2) Participants will learn how this project incorporated an assets based model, and learn about the key issues and interventions prescribed by a diverse group of agencies, organizations, and institutions throughout CA. 3) Finally, participants will find out about the process to build a statewide constituency base via regional meetings as well as many other discussions and events throughout the state, and learn what activities have been accomplished to move the agenda to improve children’s environmental health in California.
Learning Objectives: The participants will: 1. Learn the key issues affecting children’s health with respect to environmental hazards in California. 2. Understand how a broad constituency base of researchers, grassroots and environmental groups, urban planners, healthcare providers, and child health organizations (to name a few) is forming in the state. 3. Comprehend how to begin to create a statewide agenda, as well as identify strategies and priorities to move that agenda
Keywords: Environmental Health, Coalition
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.