The Eco-Healthy Child Care program is a nationally-recognized effort that delivers technical assistance and training to child care providers on reducing exposure to toxins, while creating a market demand for these providers. Based on a checklist of 25 best practice points, the Eco-Healthy program implements changes to reduce children’s exposure to toxins.

Specific objectives include:

• Educating child care providers about how to provide environmentally healthy settings
• Helping them implement changes in practices and purchasing
• Promoting qualified facilities to parents via their website and other media.

The New Dream Child Care Center in Eugene is one of 1,100 facilities caring for more than 46,000 children to have qualified as Eco-Healthy.