Green Care for Children Certification

The Learningden preschool has just received a certification through the Green Care for Children of Santa Barbara County. We have been added to a small list of child care providers that have made a pledge to uphold superior green standards in our program to make sure that children in our care are happy and healthy, as well as introduce ideas of how to be more environmentally friendly in the children’s home. The Learningden is committed to conservation by what we teach the children, materials and cleaning products that we use, energy conservation and using natural light in all of our classrooms as often as possible. To become a green care provider you must meet 18 of 25 standards which the Learningden met. We are very excited to be recognized for our efforts and we continuously look for new ways to expand our education for families and children about being green. We have added a description of what Green Care for children is but we would also encourage you to look at their website if you are interested in finding out more about their program.

“The GreenCare for Children Vision:

• Children will live healthier, more productive and more fulfilling lives if exposures to conditions detrimental to their health are eliminated in the child care, home, and public settings.
• Exposure to these conditions will be eliminated willingly by early care and education providers through clear, accurate and useful information, and through systematic support from all sectors of the child care community.
• Early care and education providers are uniquely positioned to promote healthier environments for children, and their stewardship will positively influence conditions in the home and public setting.

History of the Project:

• The GreenCare for Children program began in 2002 as a project of the Community Environmental Council of Santa Barbara, California.  In 2003 and 2004 GreenCare surveyed 748 regional early care and education providers to determine if there was a potential for exposure to environmental hazards in the child care setting; to identify information gaps in risk management; and to measure interest in environmental risk management training.“