Resources

Access relevant policies, guidelines, data sources, and tools

• Federal and state policies and regulations
• State programs
• Best practices and guidelines
• Partnership and communication resources
• Data sources
• Land use information

Federal and state policies and regulations

• ACF: Administration for Children & Families
  Learn about the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care and obtain resources available from their website.
• EPA: Drinking Water Contaminants Standards and Regulations
  Learn about federal regulations for drinking water systems set by the EPA through the Safe Drinking Water Act
• Environmental Law Institute: Drinking Water Quality in Child Care Facilities, A Review of State Policy
  Get an overview of how state laws and regulations address drinking water quality in child care facilities
• Environmental Law Institute: Environmental Exposures in Child Care Facilities, A Review of State Policy
  Learn about state policies that deal with reducing environmental exposures in child care facilities

State programs

• Connecticut: Child Day Care Screening Assessment for Environmental Risk (SAFER) Program
  Learn about Connecticut’s safe siting program
• New Jersey: Environmental Guidance for All Child Care Facilities and Educational Facilities
  Get the facts about New Jersey’s environmental requirements for child care centers
• New York: Resources from the NYS Office of Children and Family Services
  Check out relevant forms related to child care centers

Best practices and guidelines

• EPA: Drinking Water Best Management Practices for Schools and Child Care Facilities Served by Municipal Water Systems [PDF]
  Learn how child care centers using municipal water systems can ensure drinking water is safe
• EPA: Drinking Water Best Management Practices for Schools and Child Care Facilities with Their Own Drinking Water Source [PDF]
  Learn how child care centers with their own water source can comply with public water system regulations
• EPA: School Siting Guidelines
  Get background on evaluating environmental factors when siting a school
• National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education: National Health and Safety Performance Standards, Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs (5.2.6.2)
  Read about voluntary standards for water supplies and plumbing in child care and early education facilities
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Drinking Water from Private Wells and Risks to Children [PDF]
  Read the policy statement from AAP

Partnership and communication resources

• Public Health Institute and American Public Health Association: Health in All Policies, A Guide for State and Local Governments [PDF]
  See section 4.2 for a discussion of building intersectoral relationships
• The Partnering Initiative: 12 Steps towards Successful Cross-Sector Partnership
  Get tips from the Partnering Initiative, a non-profit focused on sustainability
• CDC: Crisis and Emergency Communication [PDF]
  Use this manual for guidance on communicating during a crisis
• CEHN: Children’s Environmental Health Network
  The Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) is a national multi-disciplinary organization whose mission is to protect the developing child from environmental health hazards and promote a healthier environment.

Data sources

• EPA: EnviroAtlas
  Use interactive tools and resources to explore the benefits people receive from nature — or “ecosystem goods and services”
• United States Census Bureau: American Factfinder
  Search American Housing Survey data
• CDC: National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network
  Check out integrated health, exposure, and hazard data from national, state, and city sources
• US Army Corps of Engineers: Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) Geographic Information System (GIS)
  Use an interactive map with the data from the Defense Environmental Restoration Program Annual Report to Congress
• ESRI Data and Maps
  Access open source topographic maps and rooftop aerials
• EPA: Health and Environmental Agencies of U.S. States and Territories
  Consult this comprehensive list of links to relevant departments

Land use information

• EPA: Envirofacts
  Use this search engine for information, data, and resources regarding environmental health
• EPA: Brownfields
  Learn about EPA’s work assessing, cleaning up, and reusing contaminated properties
• EPA: Superfund: National Priorities List (NPL)
  Consult the current list of Superfund sites
• EPA: TRI Data and Tools
  Learn about the TRI Program, which tracks the management of harmful toxic chemicals
• Department of Energy (DOE): Data Explorer
  Discover science, technology, engineering research and data collections from the US Department of Energy