Protecting our environment and its inhabitants—especially those that are most vulnerable, like our children—are paramount to public health efforts everywhere. It is our obligation to protect and nurture our children’s physical, mental, and social well-being, and a large part of this is ensuring that all children have access to clean air, clean water, safe food and products, stable climates, and healthy places to live, learn, and play.
This year, on October 10, as part of NACCHO’s partnership with Children’s Environmental Health Network, we’re excited to celebrate Children’s Environmental Health Day (CEH Day)! CEH Day is an annual celebration of children’s environmental health successes and a day to raise the visibility of issues and challenges in the field. It’s also a day to drive collective action to address the big challenges facing our little ones. Children face increasing rates of chronic diseases, mental health challenges, and developmental concerns linked to environmental hazards and climate change, and children from lower-income communities and communities of color are placed at disproportionately higher risk due to environmental injustices and racism.
“Nine years ago, the Children’s Environmental Health Network established Children’s Environmental Health Day with the focused purpose of energizing and leveraging collaboration around the protection of children from harmful chemical and environmental factors. The partnerships that make up CEH Day continue to expand around the United States and beyond, highlighting actions, case examples, and resources that are working to protect all children today and into the future. We applaud the work of our CEH Day partners and the important resources that they are for the families and communities,” says Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network.
There are plenty of ways to get involved with CEH Day, such as requesting a proclamation from your mayor, county commissioner, or governor, posting on your social media, sending an e-note or postcard to your congressional leaders about CEH Day, taking a walk with the kids in your life, hosting a stream clean-up or environment and health-related film screening or mini book club with your friends, or attending or hosting a local CEH Day event.
Join NACCHO and the children’s environmental health movement in celebrating CEH Day to move toward a healthy and equitable future for our children! Learn more about CEH Day and get inspired at: cehday.org
Ways to Engage
- Spread the word about CEH Day and motivate your communities to celebrate (Promotional toolkit)
- Encourage CEH Day proclamations from your local mayors or governors (another toolkit)
- Participate in the annual #CEHchat on X or Meta platforms
- Host or join CEH Day events or activities
- Help put a face to Children’s Environmental Health by sharing a quote, staff picture, or short video about their work on your channels