Children's Health Outreach Toolkit

October is Children's Health Month! 

Find factsheets, infographics, messaging, and more created for a variety of audiences and platforms about protecting children's environmental health.

On this page: 

Children's Health Publications

Browse EPA's published resources about children's environmental health on a range of topics including children's health activities at EPA, information for schools and educators, children's health disparities, healthy homes, and more.

Graphics

Growing Happy, Growing Healthy

Children's growing bodies are more vulnerable than adults to environmental health threats. Protecting their health now is key to strong futures.
Ensure homes, schools, childcare facilities, playgrounds and other places where children spend thier time are built and improved with their health in mind.
Equip communities with the knowledge and resources necessary to guarantee every child regardless of their income race or origin is protected from health and safety risks
Keep children safe in the face of changing claimge, natural disasters, and other emergency situations by prepping now for future challenges.

Kids and Climate Health Facts

Kids spend more time than adults playing outside, often during peak pollution hours, intensifying their exposure to harmful air pollutants.
Heat is one of the most apparent indicators of climate change - children who spend time outdoors playing and exercising are most affected.
Temperatures are expected to be hotter than in recent years. More exposure to heat is linked to reduced ability to concentrate or learn at school and home.
Climate change is likely to worsen air quality and can increase outdoor air pollutants such as dust, wildfire smoke, and pollen.
Childhood cases of Lyme disease are expected to increase due to changing temperatures and rainfall which affects the range and population size of blacklegged ticks (deer ticks).
Climate change affects crops through droughts and floods, and can alter the nutritional quality of food. Poor nutrition may result in developmental delays and adverse health incomes for infants and children.
The incoming frequency of natural disasters from climate change such as flooding can lead to temporary of permanent displacement from homes and communities creating mental and physical health challenges for children.

America's Children and the Environment

Text: Discover trends in children’s environmental health data. Helping children live, learn, and play in a healthy world. America’s children and the Environment (ACE). Epa.gov/ace Description: Child smiling.
Text: Blood lead levels 2017-2020. Black Children: .8µg/dL. All other races: .6 µg/dL. Black children ages 1-5 have the highest median concentrations of blood lead levels among all races and ethnicities. America’s Children and the Environment online tool spotlights trends in childhood health disparities. America’s children and the Environment (ACE). Epa.gov/ace Description: horizontal bar graph representing blood lead level statistics
Text: Clearing the air. EPA compiles data that monitor air quality trends. “Healthy” air days increased from 38% in 1999 to 53% in 2021. But, progress has slowed in the last decade. The ACE tool helps show where our country is succeeding and where more work is needed. America’s children and the Environment (ACE). Epa.gov/ace Description: Child on a swing and an icon of a line graph with a slight incline up.
Text: Water is life. Children served by community drinking water systems not meeting health standards decreased from 20% in 1993 to around 7% in 2021. America’s children and the Environment (ACE). Epa.gov/ace Description: Child drinking a glass of water and a bar graph representing community water system data.
Text: Not all kids live and play equally. In 2021 around 46% of children living below the poverty level and residing withing one mile of contaminated areas* were hispanic. Yet, hispanic children make up 37& of children living below the poverty level in the US. *Superfund and RCRA corrective action sites that may not have all human health protective measures in place. America’s children and the Environment (ACE). Epa.gov/ace Description: Icon of a home in range of a contaminated site and an icon of a family

 

Protect Children Where They, Live, Learn, and Play 

Children's Environmental Health means protecting children from environmental harm where they live, learn and play. Kids are especially vulnerable to pollutants due to developing body systems, breathing, eating, and drinking more, relative to their size and habits like playing outside or crawling. epa.gov/children & epa.gov/schools
Protect children where they live! Maintaining a healthy home environment can make a big difference in the health of your children. Start here: Check for contaminants like lead, mold, and radon. Ensure proper ventilation and filtration. Use chemicals carefully and according to labeled directions. Keep pests away. epa.gov/iaq
Protect children where they learn! Healthy schools boost success! Properly maintained and cared-for schools can enhance students' focus, performance, and overall mental and physical health. Get educated on how schools can ensure a healthy learning environment! epa.gov/schools
Protect children where they play! Growing up in our changing climate will affect your children's health. EPA has information on the impacts to kids from extreme heat, poor air quality, seasonal changes, coastal flooding, vector borne diseases like Lyme. Prepare now! epa.gov/cira/climate-change-and-childrens-health-and-well-being-united-states-report

Childhood Lifestages

From pregnancy through adulthood

More EPA Multi-Media and Graphics

Children's Health Messaging

Use this messaging to help spread information and resources about children's environmental health. 

Tag @epa and incorporate hashtags when using social media to stay connected: #ChildHealth, #ProtectKidsHealth.

Strong Bodies and Minds

  • Children are often more vulnerable than adults to environmental hazards. They eat, breathe, and drink more relative to their body mass than adults do, and their biological systems, like their immune system, are still developing. 
  • Want to start learning about children’s environmental health, but don’t know where to start? Start here! This short video discusses why children are more vulnerable than adults to sources of environmental contaminants. 
  • Asthma cases are on the rise affecting how children play and live. You can act now to ensure kids are strong and healthy now!
  • Dive into Children’s Health by the numbers. America’s Children and the Environment tool (ACE) provides data-driven insights on children’s health and the environment. ACE spotlights existing childhood health disparities and trends over time.

Healthy Spaces

  • Protect your kid's health now and into the future. Check your home for pollutants like lead, mold, radon, and volatile organic compound sources. 
  • Healthy schools = successful students! EPA has resources to support schools and childcare facilities that are looking to improve their learning environment. 
  • Good indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools can foster better learning and improve student health. Schools can use the IAQ Tools for Schools to get started. 
  • Keep childcare centers top notch! Take the Healthy Childcare and Early Learning Facilities Self-Assessment to ensure the space is clean and healthy.
  • Little changes make big differences in children's health. Switch to Safer Choice products when cleaning space where children spend their time for science-based reassurance. 

Empowered Communities

  • Find a children’s health expert in your community! The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs) are dedicated to shielding children from environmental contaminants, offer invaluable advice and resources to parents, caregivers, healthcare providers and more. 
  • Calling all community children’s health partners! EPA is working to get you the funds needed to ensure children are protected. Check out EPA’s Children’s Health Grants and Funding Opportunities.
  • States and Territorial Health Agencies, did you know about the new Community Plan Action Templates? They can be customized based on your communities’ goals for children’s environmental health.

Bright Futures Begin Lead Free

  • Get the facts about lead – check out EPA’s Protect Your Family pamphlet to protect against lead exposure in your home. Available in 12 languages.
  • Have a question about lead or lead poisoning? The National Lead Information Center provides information about lead, lead hazards, and preventing lead exposure. Call them toll free at 1-800-424-LEAD [5323]
  • There’s only one way to know if there’s lead in your home – by getting it tested! Talk to your health department about testing for lead in water, paint, dust and soil.

Planning Ahead

Children's Health

Contact Us about Children's Health
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Last updated on September 18, 2024