Properly functioning Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems reduce health problems. They dilute infectious particles in the air, so people in the facility don’t get sick easily. Good ventilation controls odors and reduce pollutants. They also remove dust and dirt, keeping the facility cleaner.

Anaphylaxis is a dangerous and sudden body reaction that involves two or more organ systems. An allergy to some substance causes the reaction. This may be something that has not caused any symptoms in the past. The reaction might involve skin and the linings of the mouth and throat. If so, you could see hives or flushing of the skin and swelling of the lips, tongue or the back of the throat. The respiratory system might be affected causing shortness of breath, wheezing, croupy sounds, and blue tint to the lips and skin. Other symptoms are cramps, abdominal pain or vomiting.

Summer is a great time to see animals at a local fair or farm, to visit a petting zoo, or to have animals come visit an early education and child care facility. As cute as baby goats, ducklings and other animals can be, many of these animals carry germs that can make people sick.

Here are five ways to make visits with animals a safe, fun and healthy experience for all.

Hand Washing: Children and caregivers should wash their hands with soap and water after petting animals, touching animals, or even being in the animal area. Everyone in the group should wash hands whether or not they touched the animals. Find out in advance if soap and water are available. Don't visit if you find out the facility doesnít provide hand washing facilities. You can use hand sanitizers for children with visibly clean hands who are 24 months or older, but some animal germs are resistant to alcohol. As a make-do until you can get to soap and water, carry a plastic bag of paper towels wet with soapy water and a bag of paper towels just wet with plain water to clean and rinse the children's hands. Wash with running water as soon as you can.

General information for parents and caregivers about the adverse effects of indoor pollutants on children with asthma. See Managing Chronic Health Needs in Child Care and Schools, 2nd Edition available from the bookstore of the American Academy of Pediatrics at https://shop.aap.org or search www.healthychildren.org, "Role of Indoor Environmental Exposure in Childhood Asthma", for more information. In PA, please send your health and safety request with your name and phone number to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Observers of early education programs often hear background music played by an electronic device. Some of these devices have screens; some do not. Unless the music plays a role in the activity, turn it off.

Recently, ECELS Pediatric Advisor Dr. Susan Aronson asked nationally recognized Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician, Dr. Heidi Feldman, MD, PhD to share what she knew about the impact of background music or noise in general on language learning. Dr. Feldman noted that environmental audiologists have measured the ratio of signal (what we want children to hear) to noise in class-rooms. She noted: “It is shockingly small, 3 to 5 decibels.” For children with weak language or attention, she said that this minimal difference in sound level makes listening and understanding language challenging.

This workshop highlights special practices needed to protect staff and children from contact with blood or other potentially infectious body fluids. Learn how to minimize risk of exposure to disease causing pathogens (germs, viruses, etc.) Learn how to meet Standard Precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements. Explore the adequacy of your facility's policies and Exposure Control Plan. Discuss how to handle a biting incident.

This workshop teaches early learning practitioners how to recognize and manage occupational health risks, drawing on the content in Caring for Our Children: the National Health and Safety Performance Standards. Addresses management of stress, infectious disease risks and musculo-skeletal (ergonomic) challenges intrinsic to providing child care. Includes assessment of personal and work-site health promotion strategies.

The CDC is a comprehensive source of information on public health issues, including immunization, sanitation, and infectious disease. The CDC provides a large library of information to the public on many topics. Some of the categories include: Diseases and Conditions; Emergency Preparedness & Response; Environmental Health; Life Stages & Populations; Healthy Living, Injury, Violence & Safety; Traveler's Health; Workplace Safety & Health. The CDC website includes a powerful search engine as well as alphabetical listings. Users will find fact sheets, videos, photos, posters, and other useful materials to download.

When children have toileting accidents in child care, staff must follow procedures that are appropriate for the child and limit the spread of germs. See Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs Standard 3.2.1.5: Procedure for Changing Children's Soiled Underwear, Disposable Training Pants and Clothing at http://nrckids.org/CFOC or available at https://shop.aap.org. In PA, please send your health and safety request with your name and phone number to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The EPA has a Safer Choice label program available at www2.epa.gov/saferchoice This label will help consumers find safer cleaning products. Manufacturers can use the new label only if the EPA Scientists determine that every ingredient in the product is safe for humans and pets, meets environmental standards, and cleans well. Look for the label when purchasing products for your early care and education program.  Also, you can search online for products that meet the Safer Choice Standard at http://www2.epa.gov/saferchoice/products Reviewed and reaffirmed 7/2021

This workshop uses a game approach to teach appropriate response to common illnesses. The content includes myths and facts about childhood illnesses and when temporarily ill children need to be excluded from their group. Includes distribution of current reference materials and the opportunity to practice using them. The reference for the discussion is Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools, a publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Handouts include some of the tables and Quick Reference Sheets from this book.

Common diapering errors can often lead to cross contamination in the early learning environment. Addressing these 12 common errors properly will help reduce the spread of germs while diapering. Updated 4-2019

Click on the title for the link to download a fully Illustrated, step-by-step, tri-fold Diapering Poster English version or Diapering Poster Spanish version. The poster shows the procedure for safe and sanitary diapering. The same steps apply to changing soiled underwear with the child lying down, a position that makes it easier to avoid contamination of the environment and proper cleaning of the child's skin. CCA Global created the poster with guidance from the staff of ECELS. Reproduce and distribute the poster freely to child care professionals. Be sure to retain the citation and copyright. The poster may not be sold without permission from CCA Global. The source of the steps in the poster is the 2019 online standards in Caring for Our Children, 4th Edition, a publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. Updated 2/1/2022.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows safer products to use the Design for the Environment (DfE) label on products that help protect the environment and are safer to use. The DfE scientific review team has screened each ingredient in these products for potential harmful effects on humans and the environment. Based on what is known, the product contains the least harmful ingredients among chemicals of the type used for the purpose for which the product is being sold. The EPA lists products on its website that have met the DfE criteria. 12/2012

• Influenza Vaccine for 2015-2016
• Screen Time, Child Development and Nutrition
• Organic Food – Is It Healthier?
• Background Music and Noise Interferes with Language Learning?
• Oral Health Screening Added to Routine Well-Child Visit Schedule
• National Center on Health—Materials All Early Educators Can Use
• Increasing Physical Activity in Afterschool Programs
• Three Newly Revised and a List of All ECELS Self-Learning Modules
• Eating Together - Mealtime Matters