Evaluation of the Eco-Healthy Child Care ® Program (Poster)

Introduction: Chemical exposures in early childhood are critical because young children are in a state of rapid growth and development. Extended hours in childcare are often needed which can lead to increased exposure to hazardous chemicals. These exposures have been linked to serious health effects and chronic diseases. The Eco-Healthy Child Care ® (EHCC) Program consists of an environmental stewardship checklist and a train-the-trainer workshop. The purpose of this study was to characterize the environmental stewardship practices and to evaluate the effectiveness of the four-hour trainings. 

Methods: Data from the checklist and training pre/posttest were analyzed for descriptives including frequencies and measures of central tendency.  Additionally, two subscores were computed for the training data (behavioral and policy) and all 3 training scores were analyzed for differences between pre- and posttests using paired-samples t-tests.  ANOVA was used to analyze the possible affect of state regulations on the pretest, and linear mixed modeling was used to analyze posttests for possible regression toward the mean. 

Results: The checklist analysis included 396 childcare facilities.  The mean number of positive responses for the checklists was 19.94 (SD=1.49).   Three checklist items had nearly a 100% positive response rate.  However, some items had more than 10% of facilities respond negatively. 

The training dataset contained 102 childcare training participants from five states.  Scores on the posttest significantly improved following the training program.  Pretest scores were not associated with the degree of regulatory oversight at the state level.

Discussion and Conclusions: Related to the analysis of the checklist data, although there are many areas in which this sample of childcare facilities are being environmentally responsible, further education is needed, particularly as related to the use of wall-to-wall carpeting and radon testing. For the training data analysis, a four-hour training program can improve knowledge on environmental exposures in the child care setting. More research is needed, however, to determine if knowledge translates into action and decreases in children’s exposures to environmental hazards.