EPA's Region 6 Office
Serving: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and 66 Tribal Nations
Children's Health
EPA and water mascot, Wayne Drop, teach parents and children how to keep water clean and use water wisely through conservation.
2011 Children’s Heath Fall Festival
In celebration of Children’s Health Month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the City of Dallas, and Keep Dallas Beautiful held a Children’s Heath Fall Festival on October 29, 2011 at the Nash Davis Recreation Center in Dallas, Texas. Activities included storytelling, music, environmental games and pumpkin painting. This year's event demonstrated how parents and children can contribute to cleaner air, safer drinking water, and healthier environments in their communities. EPA recognizes Children's Health Month each October by developing publications and activities that highlight the importance of protecting children from environmental risks.
Please visit EPA’s national Children’s Environmental Health web site for a comprehensive list of chemicals and hazards that affect children as well as a background page on the legal authority for the children’s environmental health program.
There is also a complete list of publications you may order.
This site is dedicated to the environmental health of children where they live, learn, and play. Protecting children from environmental risks is fundamental to EPA’s mission and EPA considers the special vulnerability of children in all Agency actions.
Join EPA's national campaign to take action on climate change. Become a Climate Ambassador for your school or community. Click on the Create a New Climate FOR ACTION picture to obtain more information.
Children are Different
Children may be more vulnerable to environmental exposures then adults because:
- Their bodily systems are still developing
- They eat more, drink more, and breathe more in proportion to their body size
- Their behavior can expose them more to chemicals and organisms
According to the 2000 Census, there are more than 9.6 million children under the age of 18 in Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas). The Region 6 Children’s Environmental Health Program is based on national and regional strategies to protect children’s environmental health through a number of regulations and voluntary programs. While exposures can occur in any number or variety of locations, the following list groups risks in an easy to access format. Details of national programs can be found by going to the links below:
LINKS TO NATIONAL INFORMATION |
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Home Environments |
School Environments |
Childcare Facilities and Playgrounds |
In Partnership with Communities
In the Region, EPA carries out national policy and supports local efforts on a range of voluntary and regulatory actions. EPA Region 6 has a strong network of partners who work in their communities to help protect children from environmental risks. Partners support workshops, sponsor health fairs, provide training opportunities for school nurses and health care providers, and distribute educational materials to parents and care givers. They are also instrumental in raising awareness during special emphasis months such as Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month in May and Children’s Health Month in October.
- The Southwest Center for Pediatric Environmental Health is one of 10 Pediatric Environmental Health Speciality Units (PEHSU) that provide expertise on pediatric health. Located in Tyler, Texas the PEHSU doctors are available to provide training to health care providers and to community health workers across Region 6. They are also the recipients of the national Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Award.
- The Trinity River Audubon Center in Dallas, The Health Museum in Houston, and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose Texas provide information to their visitors on the SunWise sun safety program, Mercury exposure, or environmental asthma triggers. These organizations are part of a growing trend of informal learning institutions that promote environmental sustainability, scientific inquiry, creative thinking and healthy living. EPA partners with these organizations to provide teacher workshops or informational booths during family event days.
- Recently, the Children’s Environmental Health Network, (CEHN) with EPA funding established a committee to advise on the development and delivery of a training for child care providers though out the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Comprised of State and City health officials, private health care providers, member of the Asthma Coalition of Texas and Camp Fire of Tarrant County, the CEHN trained 250 child care providers on children’s environmental health.
EPA partners with State and City Departments of Health, with Universities, school districts, and community based organizations. We provide periodic scholarships to attend national Tools for Schools and Asthma conferences. We present at conferences, represent EPA on environmental committees and communicate with our local constituents.
Providing Funding for Children’s Environmental Health Grants
In addition to grants made from our national program offices, Region 6 provides funding specifically for projects in our 5-state region. Funded programs include asthma education, school indoor air quality programs, environmental education, GAP grants, funding for U.S./Mexico border projects and others. Please check http://www.grants.gov/ for funding opportunities throughout the year.
Paula Selzer
Coordinator, Asthma and Children's Environmental Health
US EPA, Region 6
1445 Ross Ave., suite 1200, 6PD-T
Dallas , TX 75202-2733
eMail: Selzer.paula@epa.gov
Phone (214) 665-6663