Families with children enrolled in two of Kendallville's Day Care Centers have received pleasant news from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).
Both Kendallville Day Care Centers recently joined IDEM's Five Star Environmental Recognition Program for Child Care Facilities and received a special plaque for achievements in environmental safety.
"We wanted to go the extra mile in ensuring our children's safety," said Caroline Sizelove, Kendallville Day Care Center's manager. "We're proud to offer parents in Kendallville an environmentally safe facility."
IDEM worked with child care facilities, child care and youth associations, other governmental agencies, medical personnel and parents to develop the program to help Indiana parents and child care facilities learn about the environmental health and safety threats that may affect their children.
The program recognizes child care facilities that go above and beyond requirements and demonstrate environmental stewardship. Facilities earn one, three or five stars based on their voluntary measures. IDEM assists facilities in implementing the plans and conducts site visits before granting facilities membership.
Since the program began in 1998, stars have been awarded to over 100 child care facilities reaching an estimated 2,550 children.
"IDEM devised a way providers could be recognized because we believe children deserve a safe place to learn and play," said IDEM Commissioner Thomas Easterly. "There are over 100,000 children attending day care in more than 4,000 facilities throughout the state so anything we could do to involve the facilities was a worthwhile endeavor."
Applicants are evaluated based on their efforts to reduce children's exposure to mercury, lead hazards, mold, asbestos, radon, pesticides, carbon monoxide, and PCBs. In addition, many of the facilities have started recycling programs, developed formal written plans for chemical management, made efforts to purchase items made with recycling content material, and reduced energy usage.
Applicants must also address issues such as the cleaning and maintenance of their facility, proper employee training, energy efficiency, indoor and outdoor air quality, vehicle idling, recycling and environmental education.
Other day care facilities statewide achieving exceptional status in the IDEM Five Star program include Civitan Children's Center, Vincennes; Kare Bear Learning Center, Osceola; Charlotte R. Riley Child Center at Purdue University Calumet, Hammond; Bloomington Developmental Learning Center, Bloomington; Victory Learning Institute, Fort Wayne; and Toyota Children's Center, Princeton.
Grants are available for IDEM Five Star Child care Facilities that can help reduce the cost of installing items made of recycled materials, such as playground equipment, picnic tables, carpet, fences, benches and more. The state will fund up to $5,000 (subject to eligibility). A 25 percent cash match is required. Members are eligible to receive grant funding under this grant once every two years.
Additional information about the Five Star Childcare program or grant opportunities can be obtained by calling Karen Teliha, Community Environmental Health & Education Coordinator at (800) 988-7901 or by visiting http://www.idem.in.gov/.
About IDEM
IDEM (http://www.idem.IN.gov/) implements federal and state regulations regarding the environment. Through compliance assistance, incentive programs and educational outreach, the agency encourages and aids businesses and citizens in protecting Hoosiers and our environment.
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