A Safe and Healthy Environment

Basic medical care is important—but so are the environments in which children grow up. Communities must find ways to help parents meet these three goals, which are crucial for the healthy development of children:

* provide quality health care to pregnant women, infants and toddlers;
* protect children from injury, and educate parents and caregivers about the hazards to children; and
* ensure that children live, play and go to school in safe environments.

As urban infrastructures age, there is a corresponding rise in pollution and toxic contamination, both of which are especially damaging to children. Safety issues around health and food inspections are also critically important; levels of contamination tolerated by adults may be deadly for young children. Communities must find ways to stretch shrinking budgets to maintain safe public infrastructures and to limit or eliminate toxic and dangerous conditions. The Children's Environmental Health Network has resources on its