The Village Preschool – Written by Rebecca Barry

Established in 2008, the Village Preschool currently cares for 53 children. Located in California, Pennsylvania, the center-based child care facility cares for children from six weeks of age to 5 years old, split between six different classrooms. 

One of The Village’s core values is providing security – providing a safe, healthy, nurturing environment for their children and staff, in which they share the joy of learning. In desiring to provide the highest quality care for their children, the facility sought endorsement from Eco- Healthy Child Care® in 2013.  The preschool feels that this endorsement provides a robust method to assess that their school actively provides a healthy learning environment.

Experience with implementing EHCC practices 

The Village Preschool staff have become proactive in their approach to creating and maintaining a healthy and safe environment for their children. They regularly use Eco-Healthy Child Care®’s resources to educate their team regarding best practices for providing a safe learning environment. 

The facility has tested for radon and lead. The Village has purchased commercial walk-off mats and placed them at all the doorways entering the child care center. Additionally, the facility monitors their air quality and follows air quality action days. Specifically, children will stay inside if the air quality is unhealthy, or the AQI on AirNow.gov reads as more than 100 (red or purple zone). They have also replaced older composite furniture with solid wood, and they have replaced all fluorescent bulbs with LED lighting. 

The Village staff pride themselves on their vigilance and in striving to do as much as they can to ensure the wellbeing of the children within their care. They remain up to date on current child care product recalls by being a member of distribution lists, and share those recalls with families when the products pertain to children. 

Wider Community Impact 

The facility has shared its EHCC endorsement with parents and the local community, which helps to distribute knowledge and awareness about creating safer child care spaces. They promote EHCC on social media and in newsletters and take pride in their endorsement. 

The Village periodically reviews the EHCC checklist to ensure that they are maintaining their Eco-Healthy status. They encourage other child care institutions to engage with EHCC because protecting children’s health is worth working hard for! 

We thank The Village for being an EHCC partner, and continuing to create and maintain a safer and healthier environment for children!