Learn about upcoming 2004 Children's Health Month activities and events below or view October 2003 or 2002 activities.

Activities

Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment
On September 27, letters will be sent to pediatricians and family doctors in EPA's Region 3 introducing the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment (MACCHE). The MACCHE is a regional resource that increases the knowledge and awareness of children's health issues among pediatricians and other health care providers, and provides clinical consultation and evaluation of children with health problems that may be related to their environment. In this letter, there will be an invitation to view the PowerPoint presentations from MACCHE's 2nd Annual Children's Environmental Health Conference as part of Region 3's effort to educate physicians.

National Head Start Association Lead Awareness Campaign
The National Head Start Association lead awareness campaign will begin pilot distribution of lead information to Head Start Center staff and parents in 5 cities (NY, Chicago, Philadelphia, LA, and Houston) in September and October 2004.

Study of Children's Exposure to Pesticides and Household Chemicals
The two-year Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study (CHEERS) will monitor infants' and toddlers' exposure to indoor pesticides and common household chemicals. The research will begin in October 2004 in Jacksonville, Florida. Study results will be used by EPA and other science groups to: estimate aggregate exposures; evaluate the impact of children’s age and activities on their exposure; and reduce the uncertainty in exposure and risk assessments for children.

Launch of Head Start and EPA Partnership
To highlight the importance of protecting children from exposure to secondhand smoke, the Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start Bureau (HSB) and EPA will sign a Memorandum of Understanding officially launching the partnership between HSB and EPA. HSB and EPA efforts will increase awareness among Head Start families of the health risks to children from exposure to secondhand smoke and encourage parents to keep smoke-free homes and cars. Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide comprehensive child development services to over 950,000 low-income families and children from birth to age five.

For more information, contact Helga Butler at (202) 343-9335 or Mike Holloway at (202) 343-9426.

EPA Employee Smoke-Free Home Pledge Campaign
In a new campaign to increase EPA employees' awareness of the health risks to children from exposure to secondhand smoke, EPA will encourage employees to, "Take the Smoke-free Home Pledge," and maintain a smoke-free home and car to protect children.

For more information, contact Lou Witt at (202) 343-9051.

Events

National Baby Safety Month
On September 18 from 12-4 at 1336 Bristol Pike, Bensalem, PA, Babies R Us will host the first event to recognize National Baby Safety Month. Babies R Us stores across the nation will host vendors every Saturday from 12-4, to provide safety information to their customers. New and expectant mothers can learn information about children's environmental health issues at these events.

Philadelphia Asthma Funding
On October 1, a check will be presented to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for approximately $248,000 which will be earmarked as funds for asthma. During this event at CHOP, an area will be set up in the lobby of the hospital to kick-off the promotion of the smoke free homes program in Region 3 during which pledges will be taken, and Children's Health Month calendars and information will be available.

Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment 2nd Annual Children's Environmental Health Conference
Starting October 6 and continuing throughout the month of October, the presentations from the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment (MACCHE) 2nd Annual Children's Environmental Health Conference will be made available on the children's health regional website, as part of the Region's effort to increase physicians' knowledge of children's environmental health issues. Topics include asthma, mold, mercury, lead, and more.

Showing of Documentary – "Environmental Health Program at Children's Mercy Hospital"
On October 6 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. at EPA's Region 7 office in Kansas City, Kevin Kennedy of Children's Mercy Hospital will show a documentary highlighting one of the hospital's innovative programs. The program provides comprehensive home environmental assessments of the houses of families with children that have chronic respiratory illness or symptoms.

2004 Region 8 Children's Environmental Health Summit
On October 7th and 8th, the 2004 Children's Environmental Health Region 8 Summit will be held in Salt Lake City, UT. With the theme of "Creating Partnerships to Protect Children's Health," the summit will seek to:

• Coordinate and share information across government agencies, health organizations, health care providers, educators, and the general public in addressing children's environmental health issues;
  
• Identify, prevent, and reduce environmental health threats to children; and
  
• Be familiar with "best practices", and emerging science regarding the protection of children's health from environmental hazards.

The Summit is being organized jointly by US EPA Region 8, US DHHS Region VIII, the Rocky Mountain Region PEHSU, the UT Departments of Environmental Quality, Health, Agriculture & Food, Human Services, the UT Association of Local Health Departments, UT Primary Children's Medical Center, University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and the UT School Nurses Association.

Approximately 250 attendees are expected including federal, state and local public health, environmental and education professionals, health care providers, academia, non-profit organizations and the general public. UT Governor Olene Walker will offer opening remarks at the Summit. The event costs $100 for professionals and $50 for students. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/region8/humanhealth/children.

Training Retired Senior Volunteer Program Members
During the week of October 12, EPA will conduct a training session on children's environmental health for about 30-50 Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) members. The training is part of the one-year pilot program to train RSVP members in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware counties. Once trained, the volunteers will conduct presentations in their own communities.

Lecture on Children's Outdoor Play and Learning Environments
On October 13 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. at EPA's Region 7 office in Kansas City, Sam Umscheid of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County will lecture on "Children's Outdoor Play and Learning Environments: Returning to Nature." Mr. Umscheid will discuss how outdoor learning environments can help build the brains of young children from birth to six years of age in positive ways that will foster long-term love and respect for the environment.

Announcement of PA Healthy Homes Grant
The week of October 17-24 the PA Healthy Homes Grant will be announced. Details to be announced.

World Water Monitoring Day
On October 18, EPA is hosting World Water Monitoring Day, a worldwide opportunity to positively impact the health of rivers, lakes, estuaries, and other waterbodies. Volunteer monitoring groups, water quality agencies, students, and the general public are invited to test four key indicators of water quality: temperature; pH; dissolved oxygen; and turbidity. Results from World Water Monitoring Day will be recorded in a database that will establish a baseline of information for future years.

For more information, visit www.worldwatermonitoringday.org.

Second Annual Healthier Philadelphia Girl Scout Event
On November 20, Girl Scouts can participate in a fun-filled day of activities to address health, nutrition, environmental health, and environmental issues with young girls. This event is hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry, Environmental Protection Agency, Philadelphia Health Department, University of Pennsylvania and the Girl Scout Council of Southeastern PA and focuses on the areas of Healthy Living, Healthy Environments, and Healthy Communities. In addition to the day's activities, there will be special performances for the scouts and a career panel consisting of health and environmental professionals for the scouts to interview. At the end of the event, each scout will earn a participation badge. This event will be held at the Franklin Institute, 222 North 20th St., Philadelphia PA 19103.

Environmental Awareness Day
On October 23 at Camp Timber Ridge in Mableton, GA, EPA Region 4 will co-host Environmental Awareness Day with the Northwest Georgia Girl Scout Council. The Girl Scout troops will rotate through a series of specific environmental stations that cover a range of topics from water pollution, waste, pollution prevention, air pollution from vehicles, asthma, lead, women environmental champions, energy, and more. Girl Scouts will earn Environmental Health and Eco-Action badges.

Lead Poisoning Prevention Week
The sixth annual Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, to be held Oct. 24 - 30, will include participation across the U.S. by various federal, state and local governments and non-profit organizations that share the goal of preventing lead poisoning in children. This year’s theme is "Shut the Door on Lead Poisoning," emphasizing to parents and children the importance of wiping out lead poisoning across the country.

Sixth Community Asthma Coalition Symposium
On October 27-28, the American College of Chest Physicians will host the Sixth Community Asthma Coalition Symposium in Seattle, WA. The symposium will equip coalitions with asthma information and outreach strategies, including management of environmental triggers of asthma, to implement in their communities. This year the symposium will offer a track for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) coalitions to learn from the asthma coalition model. This represents a natural extension of the symposium, as this respiratory disease of older adults is also impacted by environmental pollutants. Other topics include "Asthma in the Elderly," "Outreach to rural populations," and "Successful School Asthma Programs."

For more information, contact Alisa Smith at (202) 343-9372.

Human Health Symposium - A STAR Progress Review Workshop
On October 28-29, EPA's National Center for Environmental Research Science To Achieve Results Program (STAR) will host the STAR Human Health Symposium in Philadelphia, PA. The goals of the Symposium are to:

• Create a platform for shared information and the exchange of ideas between grantees;
  
• Create an opportunity for EPA's scientists to become familiar with the work funded through the STAR grant program and to make important contacts with non-EPA scientists;
  
• Create the opportunity for STAR grantees to hear presentations from EPA speakers; and
  
• Bring important STAR research to EPA's Region 3 scientists, fostering the exchange of ideas and information between Region 3 scientists and STAR grantees.

For more information, visit http://es.epa.gov/ncer/events/ or contact Kathleen Deener at (202) 343-9852, deener.kathleen@epa.gov or Tina Conley at (202) 343-9829, conley.tina@epa.gov.