Healthy Homes: An interagency partnership to improve the environmental health and safety of children in childcare

Federal funding has led to an innovative partnership between local health officials, nonprofit public health providers and the state to improve policy and practice for protecting the environmental health and safety of children through the Healthy Homes for Childcare (HHCC) program. Providers of home-based childcare have multiple priorities. While protecting children in their care from environmental health and safety risks should be primary, it competes with running a business and surviving on an often slim profit margin. In Philadelphia where the majority of housing stock is old and deteriorating, providing a healthy and safe environment for children is challenging, especially since many of these children also suffer from disparities in health care that further heightens their risk. HHCC provides environmental health and safety assessments, education and interventions to the lowest income residents in the oldest, most deteriorated housing in Philadelphia. Trained staff visit licensed home-based childcare businesses and complete a comprehensive assessment, testing for the presence of lead, addressing pest problems, asthma triggers, food safety, as well as fire and carbon monoxide hazards, etc. For the first time the Philadelphia Department of Public Health's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, National Nursing Centers Consortium and Philadelphia Early Childhood Collaborative have partnered with a state initiative (Keystone Stars) that sets standards for quality childcare. Representatives will share the results of this partnership and the immediate impact that the HHCC program is having on improving the environment for low-income children.