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White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO, USA

Safe Site Selection for Early Education Centers and Child Care Centers

Several years ago I was hired to provide consultation to a child care business owner who wanted to open a second location in a seaside community. Imagine my surprise when I arrived and she proclaimed that she wanted to use a former glue factory as a site. The site had sat empty for many years as everyone in town knew of the contamination and had steered clear of developing anywhere close to the property. It was not hard telling her that this was not a good choice for a childcare center due to the unique health vulnerabilities of young children but there was really nothing written that I could refer her to so that she could better understand my decision. Our field has been in need of a document to help us choose safe and healthy locations for our facilities.

In 2010, after three years of work, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed model guidelines for school siting that can be applied to childcare centers. This tool takes into account:

• The special vulnerabilities of children to hazardous substances or pollution exposure
• Modes of transportation available to staff and parents
• The efficient use of energy

In carrying out this mandate, EPA has created guidelines that encourage comprehensive evaluation of prospective locations for their potential positive and negative impacts on the heath and safety of children, staff and on the environment. The guidelines are intended to be used prior to:

• Making a decision about whether to renovate the existing building, build a new one on the current site or build a new center on a new site
• Acquisition of land for facilities
• Leasing of space in new or existing structure

For more information about these guidelines or to download a copy visit their website (www.epa.gov/ schools/ siting/ ) .

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