Programs & Services - Healthy Homes for Childcare

Healthy Homes for Childcare is collaboration between the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia Early Childhood Collaborative, Non-Profit Finance Fund, South East Regional Key, Department of Public Welfare, Department of Licensing and Inspection, National Nursing Centers Consortium and the National Center for Healthy Housing.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) formed the Childcare Health Issues Task Force (CHITF) to address the health related regulatory and strategic concerns of Philadelphia’s childcare community. Membership of the CCHITF is comprised of childcare professionals, childcare advocates, childcare providers, and representatives from the childcare regulatory agencies. The outcome of the collaborative effort is the development of the “Healthy Homes for Childcare” (HHCC) Project.

HHCC will provide environmental assessments, education and interventions to Family Child Care Homes (FCCH) and Group Child Care Homes (GCCH) in specific targeted zip codes in North and West Philadelphia. HHCC will assess and remediate multiple housing-related health and safety hazards. HHCC is also collaborating with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Keystone “STARS” Quality Improvement Initiative for childcare providers. STARS will reinforce the interventions and ensure sustainability by providing their Continuous Quality Improvement Program.
The HHCC will provide training on the prevention of health and safety hazards and complete 150 assessments in family and group child care homes and provide remediation of hazards in 60 of those childcare homes. The remediation will include elimination of Lead-based Paint, Fire Safety equipment, Emergency Preparedness, Electrical, Ventilation, Toxics, Play Areas, Building Surfaces, and Equipment.

The physical remediation of EHS hazards will be financed through the Non-Profit Finance Fund-NFF managed “Facilities Fund”. NFF has committed up to $5,000 for each FDCH and up to $10,000 for each GDCH participating in HHCC. Contractor remediations will include: moisture intrusion, asthma triggers, mold, asbestos, Carbon Monoxide, injury prevention, heating, ventilation, electrical, lighting, radiator and hot water pipe insulation, roofing, walkways & stairs, active play area, fire safety, emergency preparedness, fencing, vector control, environmental infection control, and other EHS hazards.

For More Information, contact Shawana Mitchell 267-765-2320