Your center’s participation will help provide important information that parents, early educators, and policy makers can use to support healthy homes and schools for children.

We will provide free testing at your center for common contaminants found in dust and water. We will provide recommendations so your center can continue supporting children’s health and development.

Your center will also receive $100 for participating, and teachers will receive $10 per participating child for completing questionnaires.

You can start the enrollment process now!

• When you enroll, we will ask you a few questions about environmental health practices at your center.
  
  
• After you enroll your center, we will need your help to share information about this voluntary study with families of children in your toddler classrooms.
  
  
• Your center would provide a quiet space for a member of our team to conduct brief child assessments when participating children are 2 years old, and again when they are 3 years old. These assessments take 20-40 minutes per child.
  
  
• Your center would allow our staff to collect water and dust samples during our visit to your center when participating children are 2 years old.
  
  
• Teachers of participating children will complete a short questionnaire when children are 3 years old.
  

Visit our FAQ page to learn more, or contact a member of our study team with any questions.

The PEDS team is trying to understand if common chemical exposures experienced during early childhood might influence children’s cognitive development.

Cognitive development is related to how children think, play, explore, and learn to solve problems. We can study this part of child development using fun, game-like activities, such as playing with children using blocks, puzzles, and puppets.

We are testing for common chemicals that children might regularly encounter in their day-to-day life.

We will test for lead, heavy metals, "forever chemicals," flame retardants, and cigarette smoke. Each of these common chemicals has been shown to impact children’s development.

Learn more about the chemicals we are testing for and why we are testing for them.

You cannot see, smell, or taste most common chemical contaminants. Even centers that meet all sanitation requirements are still at risk for many common chemical exposures!

The samples from your child care center can help identify possible sources of common chemicals in children’s everyday surroundings.

Our team of children’s environmental health experts will also provide recommendations so your center can take action to protect children’s health.

We are ready to enroll your center and toddler families at your center!

Start the enrollment process now

Or,

Contact a member of our team with any questions.