Green Child Care

The Planning Council has centralized some free or low cost resources and information to help child care programs address environmental health issues in their buildings and operations, including a Green Care checklist, recent environmental related laws, and searchable databases for non-toxic toys and art supplies.

The Child Care Planning Council is listing these resources for informational purposes and does NOT endorse any of them!

Overview of Recent Green Child Care Laws

Recent Green Child Care Laws
The Child Care Planning Council provides a brief summary of federal and state laws related to renovations, toys, and integrated pest management. More... *(PDF - 35 kB)

Green Child Care Checklists and Certification Systems

GreenCare for Children has a checklist and local recognition program: http://www.greencareforchildren.org or www.greenchildcare.org

Go Green Rating Scale for Early Childhood Settings, and the Go Green Rating Scale Handbook (Redleaf Press) is the most comprehensive self-assessment for child care providers, and also offers a Certificate of Commendation: http://www.gogreenratingscale.org

The Oregon Environmental Council has a checklist for green child care programs: http://www.oeconline.org/our-work/kidshealth/ehcc

Local child care resource and referral agencies may have staff who have additional resources or assistance.

North County--BANANAS: 510-658-7353
South County-4Cs: 510-582-2182
East County-Child Care Links: 925-417-8733

Green Cleaning

4Cs of Alameda County has staff with green cleaning expertise

California Child Care Health Program
This website provides green cleaning information, and various green cleaning fact sheets.

Bleach Alternatives and Green Cleaning
The San Francisco asthma coalition has just produced a guide on bleach alternatives that are safe and child care licensing compliant. It includes safe cleaning products that are available locally.

Good Guide
This website provides provides third party information to connect consumers with healthy, green, and socially responsible products. Many common cleaners have been rated.

Healthy Schools Network

Healthy School Campaign: Green Clean Schools
This site provides access to a useful green cleaning guide titled "The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools.

Environmentally Healthy Practices (Pest Management, Air Quality)

Background/General Information
The California Child Care Health program offers numerous online written resources on a range of topics including:

indoor air quality, and
integrated pest management at: http://www.ucsfchildcarehealth.org/html/pandr/pandrmain.htm
Some materials are available in Spanish as well as English.

Integrated Pest Management
The Child Care Health Program has created an integrated pest management toolkit which is available at: http://www.ucsfchildcarehealth.org/html/pandr/trainingcurrmain.htm
Publications order form on the website: http://www.ucsfchildcarehealth.org/pdfs/forms/pubform.pdf *(PDF)
Order forms can be faxed to the number on the form, and an invoice is sent with the toolkit.

The State Department of Pesticide Regulation has a comprehensive overview of the Healthy Schools Act for child day care facilities at: www.schooolipm.info, click on "Child Day Care."

Toys

The Oakland based Center for Environmental Health can test toys for toxic substances:
http://www.ceh.org/

This webpage outlines basic information about how to choose nontoxic plastic toys.
http://www.greenyour.com/lifestyle/baby/toys/tips

This site offers access to a green buying guide for plastic containers.
http://www.thegreenguide.com/buying -guide/plastic-containers.

This site has information about toy safety, including the latest recalls and strategies for keeping kids safe.
http://safetoys.com

Green Buildings

Lead Abatement Assistance and Resources
Alameda County's lead poisoning prevention program offers online information, classes, and services to help support healthy living and working environments, including asthma reduction and cleaning resources:http://www.aclppp.org/alameda.htm

Green Child Care Buildings
Project FROG manufactures non-toxic modulars which can house child care programs: http://www.projectfrog.com/index.html

The United States Green Building Council
USGBC leads a national building industry coalition to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. USGBC has developed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System, as a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. USGBC offers trainings and certifications based on the LEED program and hosts the annual green building conference Green Build http://is.gd/oCTO.

The Coalition for High Performance Schools
This collaborative offers building certification programs and other school related resources that are adaptable for child care facilities http://www.chps.net/.

Energy Systems
The California Preschool Energy Efficiency Program provides grants to non-profit and for profit child care programs to exchange light bulbs which can result in significant annual cost savings for programs. http://www.liifund.org/products/grants/grants-for-green-facilities

Gardens/Outdoor Spaces

Alameda County Master Gardeners offer seminars and an extensive website of resources with a special section on resources for School Gardens, including composting http://acmg.ucdavis.edu/School_and_Community_Gardening/:

Bay Friendly Landscaping
Resources to create outdoor spaces that are in harmony with the Bay Area environment with suggestions in areas such as drought tolerant and low water landscapes. http://stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=8

Natural Playspaces
This website offers resources on how to create natural outdoor environments for children. http://earthplay.net/

Articles about reusing tires for playground surfaces and other uses Scrap Tire News Online Playground-related articles: 1, 2, 3

Green Buying Guides/Art Supplies

This buying guide developed for "green schools" lists resources for purchasing non toxic or recycled products such as art supplies, office supplies and pest control. http://www.greenschools.net/article.php?id=41

Art and Creative Materials Institute, Inc.
This site acts as a leading authority on available safe, non-toxic art and creative materials. http://www.acminet.org/

A Northern California child care center researched office supplies available at Staples that have high recycled content:
Recycled Office Supplies from Staples *(PDF - 253 kB)

Sustainable Use of Resources/RRRR

Recycling
StopWaste.org is Alameda County's major local resource on RRRR information. Stopwaste.org has resources, including grants, to support with recycling as well as a green business certification program.

Nexcycle Schools may provide child care programs with reimbursement for recycled cans and bottles.
http://nexcollect.com/schools.php

East County
Eek works with schools and has numerous free recycling related resources online.
Eeknews.com.

"Rotting" or Composting

How To Compost in the Preschool Classroom
http://www.ehow.com/how_5625961_compost-preschool-classroom.html

http://www.gardenguides.com/126540-compost-preschool-classroom.html

Worms for Composting
http://science.preschoolrock.com/index.php/Preschool_Entomology/preschool_insect_activities--building_a_worm_farm

"Do the Rot Thing" is a video outlining the steps for setting up a home composting system:
http://schools.stopwaste.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=85:do-the-rot-thing&catid=93&Itemid=97

Resource Title	Description	Location
Rot Web	Online "how to" information about many types of composting. Website also includes information for teachers.	National, USA
Wastes: Teacher Resources and Tools Environmental Protection Agency	A collection of waste-related resources and tools for teachers.	National, USA
Compost School, University of Maine, Cooperative Extension	Extensive composting resource list, including online links.	Orono, Maine, USA
WormWoman.com	Mary Appelhof's website for worm composting resources. Online resources from one of the leading experts in the field of vermiculture.	Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
Cornell Composting Cornell Waste Management Institute	Website includes a detailed section specifically about composting in schools, composting case studies in New York, and resources for composting.

Food and Serving

Regional Food Service Vendors
Revolution foods - organic http://products.revfoods.com/

Chefables: reusable, recyclable or compostable containers http://chefables.com/index.php

Compostable Serving Supplies
CostCo Online

Eco Green Wares 6': 1000 for $44.99 (less than one cent/plate)
Eco Green Wares 9': 500 for $49.99 (.10/plate)

Zero Waste Lunches CA Recycle website with Zero Waste lunch poster, sample letter to parents, and other resources: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/Schools/food/ZeroWaste.htm

This website has a flyer on why and how to encourage zero waste lunches, the costs of zero waste vs. disposable lunches, other website links, etc..http://www.wastefreelunches.org/

Sample letter to parents on zero waste lunches: Zero Waste Letter *(PDF - 29 kB)

Sample Letters to Parents

The GoGreen Website has a variety of modifiable letters to parents on green child care, green team, green cleaning, air, plastics and other issues. http://www.gogreenratingscale.org/pdfs/Family_Letters.rtf

General RRRR Curricula Ideas

A Santa Clara County Montessori school offers power point slides and other materials with preschool appropriate lessons such as "Where Does Trash Go," "What Happens in a Landfill," "Recycling: Let's Get Organized", "Diverting Toxic Waste," and "Composting." http://www.oneworldmontessori.org/home/GreenSchoolResources.html

Two page overview of RRRR related activities for preschoolers. http://www.acgov.org/childcare/green_childcare.htm

Recycling Signs

The Stop Waste website has downloadable versions include Recycling, Composting, and Mixed Paper signs.
http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=108

* Portable Document Format (PDF) file requires the free Adobe Reader.