The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #50811

Palak Raval-Nelson, BS, MPH¹, Randall B. Hirschhorn, RS, MS, MPA, EdM¹, and David Tollerud, MD, MPH². (1) Environmental Health Services, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, 321 University Avenue, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 685-7342, palak.raval-nelson@phila.gov, (2) School of Public Health, MCP Hahnemann University, 1505 Race St. 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102

A tremendous growth has occurred over the past two decades in the number of households where there both parents are employed outside of the home. The same increase holds true for single parent households. There has been a concomitant increase in the childcare industry to accommodate the demand for these services. In Philadelphia, approximately 16,600 children are enrolled in childcare facilities daily. Existing childcare provider training primarily emphasizes child developmental issues. Training for quality childcare however, must also include information on establishing a safe and healthful environment. In response to this need in the City of Philadelphia, the Department of Public Health (PDPH) developed six training modules to educate providers on the recognition and elimination of safety and environmental hazards. Since this training program was initiated in the fall of 1998, the program has received accreditation from the PA Department of Public Welfare and has received the endorsement of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other professional associations. This project determined the effectiveness of this training by examining the violation statements on inspection reports for the childcare operations of providers who attended the training and providers who did not. The results from the review of these reports are being analyzed to determine differences in the environmental and safety conditions of the operations of those who attended the training as compared to those who did not.

Learning Objectives:

• 1) The environmental hazards present in a child care facility.
• 2) How to inspect for these hazards.
• 3) How to train providers about the hazards
• 4) How to evaluate the effectiveness of training programs.

Keywords: Child Care, Environmental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.