Eco-Friendly, Green Daycare Centers

Eco-Friendly, Green Daycare Centers
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Eco-Healthy Child Care Checklist

Selecting a daycare for your child is a daunting and overwhelming task. There are so many options and so many different things to take into account. One many parents now look into is how green the daycare is. Daycares are often known for using harsh chemical cleaners, and wasting paper, not taking care of the environment. However, green daycares are out there and an increasing amount of daycares are taking advantage of becoming green to better the children they care for as well as take care of the environment. Green daycares will be more environmentally friendly by reducing their waste, using natural cleaners, serving organic and local food, and teaching the kids to do the same. The Oregon Environmental Council screens daycares with 25 questions about the quality of air, water, cleaning supplies, food, recycling programs, playground equipment, plastics, art supplies, furniture, carpets, mercury, lead, chemicals, pest prevention, and pesticides. If you own a daycare, work at a daycare, or are seeking daycare it is encouraged that you get the answers to all of these questions. At the very least it will bring up new ideas on how the daycare can be more environmentally friendly or even create a new, green daycare. These daycares are endorsed as Eco-Healthy Child Care.

Checklist: https://www.oeconline.org/resources/publications/kitsandtipsarchive/2007EHCCChecklist

5: Children’s Creative Learning Center

The Children’s Creative Learning Center in Monterey, California no longer uses plug in air fresheners, unsafe plastics, and aerosols. Instead the daycare uses essential oils as an air freshener and the air quality is better. They recycle and reuse more now instead of just throwing everything away. All of the printer cartridges and batteries used by the daycare are now recycled. Even the parents are getting involved by donating unwanted items that the daycare can use such as clothing, toys, and dishes.

4: Children’s Creative Learning Centers

Children’s Creative Learning Centers UCAR campus preschool in Boulder, Colorado was the first eco-healthy daycare endorsed in the state of Colorado. The daycare director completed the 25 question checklist. The director sent in the checklist to help confirm all of the green practices that they were already doing such as recycling and avoiding chemicals. The director even wants to figure out a way to make the daycare more environmentally friendly!

3: Days of Sunshine Care

Days of Sunshine Care at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida uses green living as a lifestyle, not a trend. The Days of Sunshine Care recycles, serves organic food, uses energy efficient products, and more. They are also Eco-Healthy Child Care endorsed.

2: Great Adventure Child Care

Great Adventure Child Care is in Albany, Oregon. The daycare was already operating green before the checklist was submitted. They have a garden and compost for the garden. The kids get involved in the green activities. They use natural predators in the garden instead of chemicals and pesticides. The director wishes to become completely green and self-sustainable.

1: GreenBaby Home Daycare

The name says it all! GreenBaby Home Daycare in Billerica, Massachusetts has an organic daycare. This is the idea of the owner of GreenBaby Home Daycare. It has been endorsed from the very first day. The carpets are steam cleaned twice a year, a green pest control consultant is used, and often uses FreeCycle.org.