Free Baby Mattress Replacement Program for Hospitals

A Public Service Project: Healthy Child Healthy World and Naturepedic

Today, over 125 million Americans (overwhelmingly children) face an unprecedented rise in cancer, autism, asthma, birth defects, ADD/ADHD, learning and developmental disabilities and other conditions. Credible scientific evidence increasingly points to environmental hazards and household chemicals as causing and contributing to many of these diseases.

Some of the suspect chemicals — like phthalates and toxic fire retardants - are present in most crib mattresses and have been shown to leach out into the surrounding air. Given that infants are uniquely vulnerable to these chemicals and they spend the majority of their time in bed, it is imperative to provide them with safer sleeping environments.

To help offset the dangers of chemicals in the lives of children, [name of project] is giving free Naturepedic baby mattresses to hospitals to help them get babies off to a good start.

There are 6,400 hospitals in the United States and Naturepedic is willing to provide mattresses to every one of them! Absolutely free. They're even paying for the shipping. And they are asking for nothing in return.

Naturepedic crib mattresses are the only crib mattresses we recommend at Healthy Child Healthy World. They don't contain any of the harmful chemicals people are worried about. Not one.

They use certified organic cotton, food grade polyethylene for waterproofing, and non-toxic fire-proofing methods that meet and exceed all federal and state flammability standards. And they're certified by GREENGUARD - so we know babies will be safe.

The long-lasting, heirloom quality workmanship of Naturepedic mattresses will serve thousands of babies over many years.

If your hospital has a nursery, NICU, birthing rooms, or other related hospital facilities, you can get free Naturepedic crib mattresses. Just call Joyce White, coordinator of the program, at (phone number), or click here to send her an email.

Our judging criteria: We are seeking a heart-lifting, true story that both moves and inspires us by sharing a mother's work to create healthier environments for children and families.

Who is a candidate: Any exceptional mother (currently living in the United States) who seeks to make a difference for the better, generously gives back to others, or overcame adversity with courage.

How to enter: Only ONE nomination per person is allowed. Please enter by sending your “heart-lifting, true story” to award@healthychild.org. Submissions should be no more than 750 words long. Nomination period ends on July 31st, 2010.

Jena King | Anna Getty | Jessica and Adam Goodman

for the

HEALTHY CHILD HEALTHY WORLD

AWARDS

Honoring the Champions

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

The Montage, Beverly Hills

225 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

6:30 PM Cocktail Reception | 7:30 PM Dinner

Menu Designed by Chef Nancy Silverton

Cocktail Attire

Limited Seating - RSVP by October 20, 2009

For more information, please contact 310.201.5033 / robin@lpaevents.com

 Download the Invitation.

Download the RSVP / Pricing Form.

Spread the word by embedding our widget on your site or facebook page. Click on "Get Widget" to learn how.

Partner Guides

Mercury in Fish Guide - NRDC

Organic Essentials - The Organic Center

Organic Food Guide - Earthbound Farm

Seafood Watch Guide - Monterey Bay Aquarium

Sustainable Table - Learn good practices for sustainable and healthy eating.

A Shopper's Guide to Pesticides - EWG

Healthy Child Healthy World is igniting a movement of parents.

• A movement that protects young children.

• A movement that creates cleaner, healthier, and safer environments.

Join us all today to receive our communications, action alerts, and trusted information.

Never underestimate your ability to make changes in the world around you. In fact, with all the new technologies that help us connect with one another and share information, it’s probably never been easier. Still, you’ll be much more successful if you remember a few key tips.

Play nice. No matter who you’re talking to, from a neighbor to a Senator, it pays to be diplomatic. Approach people with an open mind and be respectful of their opinions. Nobody likes a know-it-all, so offer your ideas with a bit of humility. Don’t judge, smile a lot, and be grateful for every little step that is made. Be a “helper” instead of a “nagger.” People will be much more apt to change if it feels positive. And, you’ll be more likely to create long-term allies who can continue to help make changes in your community.

Find solutions. It’s easy to complain about problems. It’s smart to find solutions. Whatever issue you want to address, before you do anything, research solutions. Find other people who have successfully addressed the problem you want to address. Look on-line for example policies that outline solutions. Do your best to find solutions that are economically feasible. The more research you do identifying solutions on the front end, the less friction you’ll receive when you go public with your requests.

Be patient. We live in a fast paced world, but it doesn’t mean things change overnight. Be prepared to push for what you want for a long time. Understand that people are busy and that elected officials and community leaders have a long, complicated list of priorities. It may take a while for yours to rise to the top. Don’t take it personally. Have patience, perseverance, and a positive attitude.

Resources:

Creating Healthy Environments for Children: Advocacy Toolkit This 8pg PDF outlines everything you need to know about contacting elected officials, writing letters to the editor for publishing your concerns in local newspapers, and many other easy ideas for spreading the word in your community. Don’t forget the companion DVD that can help you quickly educate others about children’s environmental health issues.

Research Tools on the Web Use this guide to find out about polluters in your community, health impacts of chemicals, and much more.

Community ToolBox promotes community health and development by connecting people, resources, and ideas. While they don’t address environmental health specifically, their tools and information is entirely relevant to anyone looking to start organizing for change in their community. For example, they have an on-line guide that includes nearly 300 different sections providing practical, step-by-step guidance in community-building skills.

Meet Up is the world's largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. More than 2,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities.

Some parents breathe a sigh of relief when they drop their baby off at a childcare center. Others breathe a small gasp as they stifle back tears. Either way, make sure you and your child can breathe easy by helping the facility create a healthy environment.

Creating Healthy Environments for Children: Easy Steps for Homes, Child Care Centers and Schools is a 20-minute educational DVD which includes an informational presentation on how to protect children's environmental health, fact sheets, and quizzes for child care centers and schools, a community action guide, and more.

Eco-Healthy Childcare program from the Oregon Environmental Council provides tips for childcare centers, a checklist, and a list of certified centers from across the nation.

Schools are our children’s second homes. The moment a parent sets foot in a school and realizes how important this place is to their child’s health and development is oftentimes the moment a community advocate is born. For parents who have taken every precaution at home, it can be a moment of culture shock. Luckily, parents and schools across the nation are blazing a green trail towards creating healthy environments for students to learn and grow in.

Healthy Schools Network is a national non-profit working to create healthier school environments for all children. They coordinate a coalition of over 400 partners, provide a wealth of information and referral services, and coordinate the National Healthy Schools Day every April. Host your own event to raise awareness of the issue and launch a local effort to improve school environments.

My Healthy School is dedicated to providing teachers, administrators, parents and students with resources on how to improve the health of schools across the country. Learn how to serve the most nutritious school food, choose the safest products inside the classroom and out, and teach students how to play an integral role in the future of their planet.

Creating Healthy Environments for Children: Easy Steps for Homes, Child Care Centers and Schools is a 20-minute educational DVD which includes an informational presentation on how to protect children's environmental health, fact sheets, and quizzes for child care centers and schools, a community action guide, and more.

The Green Flag Program is a student-led program to make schools healthier places to work and learn. This flexible three-step program will help you advance your schools environmental behaviors and become a shining example to others. Achieve recognition for all the good work your school already does, and improve your program with the support of teachers and field experts across the country.

The Green Schools Initiative works to catalyze and support “green” actions by kids, teachers, parents, and policymakers to eliminate toxics, use resources sustainably, create green spaces and buildings, serve healthy food, and teach stewardship. They are working to leverage the schools sector to transform the school environment – and the markets that supply schools – to improve health and sustainability. They advocate that school boards and state policymakers develop comprehensive action plans and build the local capacity to implement these plans. Begin with their Sample School Board Resolution: Blueprint for Healthy, Environmentally Sound Schools.

The Go Green Initiative is a simple, comprehensive program designed to create a culture of environmental responsibility on school campuses across the nation. Founded in 2002, the Go Green Initiative unites parents, students, teachers and school administrators in an effort to make real and lasting changes in their campus communities that will protect children and the environment for years to come.

Indoor Air Quality – Tools for Schools is the US Environmental Protection Agency’s program to show schools how to carry out a practical plan of action to improve indoor air problems at little or no cost using straightforward activities and in-house staff. Their Kit provides best practices, industry guidelines, sample policies, and a sample IAQ management plan. The voluntary guidance can save schools time and money so that resources can be directed toward educating children.

Minnesota Healthy Sustainable Schools is an interagency, cross-sector collaboration helping schools on a variety of issues, such as health, performance, and sustainability. Even if you don’t live in Minnesota, download the Guide for Change and Assessment Tool for Change for a wide variety of resources to help you plan, implement, and track your program.

Even if you don’t feel comfortable quite yet rocking your neighborhood boat or shaking up your city council, you can still start laying the groundwork for future changes by starting a neighborhood group, joining your neighborhood association, or sitting in on city council meetings. Get to know the people in your community and the issues they are concerned about. Once you’ve established yourself as a friend and committed citizen, introduce your own ideas.

Use MeetUp.com to find or start a group in your area. Just enter a topic and your zipcode to see if others are already meeting to discuss the issue or to invite others to meet. Meetup is the world's largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. More than 2,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities.

After you’ve made some allies, here are three ways to start creating a healthier community:

1. Reduce pesticide use by following the 10 Steps to Pesticide-Free Parks from the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, joining the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns, or by promoting a Model City-Wide IPM Policy.
2. Get your city (or Park and Rec or Libraries or any institution) to buy healthier, eco-friendly products by using the Responsible Purchasing Network, the US EPA’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program, or “Environmental Purchasing Policies 101.”
3. Promote green cleaning with tools from the Federal Office of the Environmental Executive. They also host The Green Cleaning Pollution Prevention Calculator which quantifies the projected environmental benefits of purchasing and using "green" janitorial services and products. It is designed to forecast the environmental benefits of reducing chemical use by doing some or all pollution prevention measures typically involved in the routine interior cleaning of an office building. This tool also enables users to identify which green cleaning measures will have the greatest impact in reducing their use of hazardous chemicals and in preventing pollution.

Legislators are not mind readers and they certainly don’t know everything. They rely on you to contact them with your concerns and help educate them about issues so they can make informed decisions. Try to get in the habit of knowing who your elected officials are and how to contact them. Send letters with your concerns and thank you notes when appropriate (adding a picture or hand written note from your child adds a compelling touch).

You can also get involved in existing efforts such as the following:

SaferStates is a network of diverse environmental and health organizations in states around the country working to change national chemical policy by promoting state-based reforms to protect citizens from toxic threats. Some of these champions include:

• Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy (CHANGE)
• The Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut
• The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine
• The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow (Massachusetts)
• The Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health
• Healthy Legacy Coalition (Minnesota)
• The Just Green Partnership (New York)
• Toxic Free Legacy Coalition (Washington)

Find your state elected representatives. Project Vote Smart gives you not only contact information, but also voting records, latest speeches, campaign contributors, and more.

Make a quick call. Democracy only works if people get involved in politics and that means more than just voting. Oftentimes, it only takes 30 seconds to make your voice count. When bills you are interested in are being considered, take a moment to call your representatives and tell them whether you want them to vote for or against the bill. Find out what types of environmental health legislation are being proposed in your state by using the National Conference of State Legislators database.

We are very lucky to live in a democracy, which means any person can get involved in any aspect of government. From the tiniest town hall to the great halls of Congress, our government not only leaves its doors open to the citizens, it actually functions best when we actively engage in it.

Find your federal elected representatives. Project Vote Smart  gives you not only contact information, but also voting records, latest speeches, campaign contributors, and more.

Get involved in what’s happening now:

Kid Safe Chemicals Act
National Children’s Study

We live on a planet that is increasingly interconnected. Pollution from China is carried on ocean breezes to the shores of California. Likewise, pollution from the U.S. is carried up to Canada, the Arctic, and beyond. While Healthy Child Healthy World works in the United States, we recognize that for a truly healthy world, we all need to work together.

Great things are happening all over the world. And, often, we rely on the experiences and protective policies passed in other countries to bolster our own local efforts. Here are just a very few of the organizations and initiatives we’ve been keeping our eyes on:

Canada

• Toxic Nation Canadians are polluted with a toxic mix of harmful chemicals. Toxic Nation shows how your body is polluted. And what you can do to get the pollution out of you and all Canadians.
• The David Suzuki Foundation sees a future where Canadians won’t have to think twice about drinking a glass of tap water, eating food from their local grocery store, swimming in a local river or lake, or simply taking a deep breath of air.
• Ecojustice is Canada's largest and foremost non-profit environmental law organization. Much of the casework of Ecojustice aims to establish and expand healthy communities coast to coast to coast, connecting the dots that link environmental and public health and ensuring that all citizens enjoy their fundamental right to a healthy environment.
• Toxic Free Canada brings workers and environmentalists together in cooperative projects for toxics reduction and a green econom

European Union

• REACH is a new European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use. It deals with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances. The new law entered into force on 1 June 2007. The aim of REACH is to improve the protection of human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances.

India

• Toxics Link for a toxic free world

Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific

• National Toxics Network is a community based network working for pollution reduction, protection of environmental health and environmental justice for all.
• Safer Solutions keeping your home healthy and green.

Global

• World Health Organization Children’s Environmental Health Program
• United Nations Environment Program

As part of our commitment to bring you trustworthy and credible information that empowers you to maintain a healthy and safe home, we are proudly collaborating with WebMD – America’s #1 most-trusted online site for health information – to unveil our ALL NEW Health eHome.

• Navigate virtual rooms of a family home
• Explore potential dangers and how to avoid hazards
• Learn easy solutions and new tips
• Watch short videos and join the Blog conversations

Visit today and open the door to your NEW Health eHome!

Exclusively sponsored by Seventh Generation.

Please feel free to download the information below.

Have you hosted or attended a Healthy Home Party? We want to know what you thought of it! Please leave your comment here.

Thanks for passing our newsletter along!

Click on the pocket guides below to download a printable version

Partner Guides

Huddler's Collection of Green Guides (Pocket AND Mobile)

Mercury in Fish Guide - NRDC

Organic Essentials - The Organic Center

Organic Food Guide - Earthbound Farm

Seafood Watch Guide - Monterey Bay Aquarium

Sustainable Table - Learn good practices for sustainable and healthy eating - Sustainable Table

Healthy Pet Guide - NRDC

Guide to Home Tissue Products.  Shop Smart.  Save Forests. - NRDC

A Shopper's Guide to Pesticides - EWG

Nail Polish Guide - National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance

A user-friendly and practical lifestyle guide about how to reduce toxic exposure in our homes, our new book is a perfect resource of credible and easy steps to creating a healthier environment and lifestyle for all stages of parenting. It’s sure to be a hit on Earth Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and everyday - with information on pregnancy, cleaning, foods, toys, and even green baby showers, healthier air fresheners, gardening, beauty care, and much more!

Besides the up-to-date health content, what sets this book apart are the long list of health experts and notable parents contributing their essay. These contributing "voices" and stories are selectively added to the book to build on the approachable and fresh tone.

Special contributing folks include Meryl Streep (writing the foreword), Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill McDonough, Tom Hanks, Dr. Philip Landrigan, Tobey Maguire, Dr. Sandra Steingraber, Dr. Russell Long, Laura Dern, Dr. Alan Greene, Courteney Cox, Vanessa Williams, Erin Brockovich, Dr. Harvey Karp, Keri Russell, Brooke Shields, Dr. David Orr, Michelle Obama, Dr. Theo Colborn, Sheryl Crow, Gayle King and a quite a few more.

Buy the Book Now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Better World Books.

Not Under My Roof!: Protecting Your Baby at Home is a 17-minute educational DVD, co-hosted by Olivia Newton-John and Kelly Preston. Speaking from personal experience, Olivia and Kelly highlight toxic exposures occurring in the home, unique health risks to children, and simple, healthier alternatives.

Purchase a copy for $12.

Creating Healthy Environments for Children: Easy Steps for Homes, Child Care Centers and Schools is a 20-minute educational DVD which includes informational presentations on how to protect children's environmental health, Tool Kits, fact sheets, and quizzes for child care centers and schools, community action guides, and effective ways to make your voice heard and spread awareness about children's health issues in your community.

Purchase a copy for $12.

 BONUS Downloadable Material:

• Safer Art and Hobby Supplies
• Children, Health and Toxins in our Environment
• Protecting Children from Arsenic
• Clean Safely
• Provide Healthy Food
• Help Children Breathe Easier
• Protecting Children from Lead
• Protecting Children from Mercury
• Avoid Using Pesticides
• Use Plastic Products Wisely
• Healthy Renovating
• Smart Shopping
• Providing Safe Drinking Water

Written by Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D.

ORGANIC VALLEY FAMILY OF FARMS

From the life of a gypsy biologist to an environmental writer with two kids, Sandra Steingraber writes on the benefits of being organic.

Download report.

New Science in the Debate Over Toxic Flame Retardants and Our Health

Written by: Yana Kucher and Meghan Purvis

U.S. PIRG Education Fund and ENVIRONMENT CALIFORNIA RESEARCH AND POLICY CENTER

New evidence indicates that the chemical flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (Deca) may threaten the health of Americans.

Manufacturers of common household products add Deca to plastics or fabrics to make them resist the spread of fire. A growing body of evidence shows that exposure to Deca may cause adverse health effects in developing children, including damage to the nervous system and impaired motor skills.

Download study.

Chemical Exposures and Increases in Developmental Disease

Written by: Travis Madsen, Yana Kucher, Teri Olle

ENVIRONMENT CALIFORNIA RESEARCH AND POLICY CENTER

This study focuses on the most recent science surrounding several emerging chemical hazards—a growing body of evidence showing that chemicals found in the home and in common consumer products may hinder normal development.

Download study.

Written by Alan Greene, M.D.

ORGANIC VALLEY FAMILY OF FARMS

Dr Greene's personal experience as a father and a husband adding to his understanding as a physician and being for organic foods.

Download report.

BY ENVIRONMENT CALIFORNIA RESEARCH AND POLICY CENTER

A child’s first few years are an exciting time for parents who hope, if for nothing else, that their child starts his or her life happy and healthy. Unfortunately, not all products marketed for children and babies are completely safe for their use. Many contain toxic chemicals that may have detrimental health impacts for children exposed during critical stages of development.

Download study.

Written by Brenda Platt, Tom Lent and Bill Walsh

Published by The Healthy Building Network

This Healthy Building Network report compares and evaluates different plastic lumber types from an environmental and public health perspective, and offers advice on how to choose a plastic lumber product based upon its health hazards and recycling impacts. The Healthy Building Network rates the environmental preferability of 55 plastic lumber products manufactured by 44 companies based on three criteria:

1. Materials used
2. Recycled content
3. Potential recyclability

This information is intended to inform those who are interested in understanding the range of environmental and public health impacts associated with different plastic lumber products.

Download report.

One Lunch Lady's Fight for Our Children's Future

Written by Chef Ann Cooper

ORGANIC VALLEY FAMILY OF FARMS

Read Ann Cooper's Journey from "white tablecloth" celeberty chef, never cooking for kids nor even knowing what they ate, to an unlikely advocate for childhood nuturition.

Download report.

Hundreds of man-made chemicals - in our air, our water, and our food - could be damaging the most basic building blocks of human development.

Written by Gay Daly

NRDC On Earth

A large, uncontrolled scientific experiment has been in progress for the last 60 years, and the questions now is: Can we figure out what the results are? And if those results show we are in danger, what we can do about it at this late date? 

Download report.

Scientific study finds leaching chemicals in clear plastic baby bottles 

Written by Rachel L. Gibson

ENVIRONMENT CALIFORNIA RESEARCH AND POLICY CENTER

This study analyzes the extent to which five popular brands of baby bottles leach bisphenol A, a developmental, neural, and reproductive toxicant, into liquids coming into contact with them.

They found that all five brands leach bisphenol A at dangerous levels found to cause harm in numerous laboratory animal studies.

Download study.

Potential Hazards of Home Cleaning Products

Written by Alexandra Gorman

WOMEN'S VOICES FOR THE EARTH

A look at the potential hazards of chemicals in household cleaning products and their association with asthma and reproductive harm.

Download report.

Understanding an Unexpected Threat.

Written by Charles W. Schmidt

Published by Environmental Health Perspectives

VOLUME 116 | NUMBER 2 | February 2008

Until March 2007, thousands of kids around the country could be found playing with toy trucks, helicopters, and soldiers sold under the Elite Operations brand name. The toys were fun, and they looked great with their thick coat of glossy paint. Trouble was, that paint was loaded with 5,000 ppm lead, a potent developmental neurotoxicant with no known safe exposure level.

Download report.

Written by WORK GROUP FOR SAFE MARKETS

The test results of this study indicates that the United States’ current lack of regulation of bisphenol A exposes infants and children to potentially dangerous levels of this unnecessary toxic chemical. The study confirms the findings of the 2007 Environment California study that tested Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex baby bottles. All five brands of the popular polycarbonate bottles tested in Environment California’s study leached bisphenol A the range of 5–10 ppb.3 This report is the first dual-nation study to measure BPA leaching from baby bottles purchased from U.S. and Canadian retailers.

Download study.

Protecting Infant and Children from Toxic Exposure

Written by Sara Schedler

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

New data collected by Friends of the Earth demonstrates that a high percentage of California’s furniture contains toxic chemicals called halogenated fire retardants.* In hundreds of peer-reviewed studies and animal experiments, halogenated fire retardants have been linked to serious health disorders such as cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption, neurological and reproductive dysfunction and learning disabilities such as ADHD, mental retardation, and hyperactivity. Today, Californians who undergo testing are finding halogenated fire retardants stored in their bodies at increasing rates, with babies and children showing the highest levels.

Download report.

Protecting Infants and Children from Toxic Exposures

Written by Sara Schedler with contributions from Russell Long Ph.D., Arlene Blum Ph.D., Jen Holzer, Bob Badgley, Bart Broome and Mary Brune.

Friends of the Earth

This report demonstrates that commonly used baby and children’s products, and upholstered household furniture, contain dangerous levels of toxic chemicals called halogenated fire retardants.
In hundreds of peer-reviewed studies and animal experiments, halogenated fire retardants have been linked to serious health disorders such as cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption, neurological and reproductive dysfunction and learning disabilities such as ADHD, mental retardation, and hyperactivity. Human testing suggests that most Americans now have halogenated fire retardants in their bodies, with babies and children showing the highest levels.

Download report.

Written by Environment & Human Health, Inc.

The plastics problem is growing in scale and complexity due to a collision of factors, including government neglect of the importance of endocrine disruption; the explosive growth of the U.S. and international plastics industry; the absence of any plastic ingredient and source labeling requirements; nearly complete recycling failure for PVC and polycarbonate plastics; environmental contamination of air, water, soils, oceans, fish and wildlife; nearly universal human exposure to BPA and DEHP from food and beverages in high income nations; the dependence of the plastics industry on petroleum; and government failure to require health and environmental testing prior to chemical production, sale, and disposal. Collectively, these pose a serious challenge to the environment and human health.

Download report part 1.

Download report part 2.

New laboratory tests reveal the familiar “new shower curtain smell” may be toxic to our health. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic shower curtains purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond, Kmart, Sears,
Target, and Wal-Mart all contain avoidable toxic chemicals including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates, organotins and metals.

The release of this report is sponsored by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice’s (CHEJ) PVC Campaign and the Work Group for Safe Markets.

Download the study.

Published by International Chemical Secretariat

During the last years ChemSec has actively pushed the new EU legislation on chemicals, REACH, to protect health and the environment by raising the requirements on chemical manufactures and importers to deliver safer products. When REACH is now in place the REACH SIN List helps spurring its implementation. But REACH can also be used in NGO campaigning to help strengthening chemicals regulation in other parts of the world. To inspire and facilitate the work of other NGOs ChemSec has compiled this guide. It includes the basics principles of the new regulation, how to access substance data available through REACH, and how REACH can be used as a model to enhance national regulations.

Download guide/campaigning tool.

Written by Jill Stein MD, Ted Schettler MD MPH, Ben Rohrer, Maria Valenti

Published by Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility and Science and Environmental Health Network

This report examines the lifetime influences of environmental factors on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and their underlying pathologic mechanisms. The close look into the science of these diseases shows they are related to a number of features of modern society and that Alzheimer’s disease especially is linked to other serious health problems of modern times, called the "western disease cluster."

Downloadable version is available on GBPSR's website.

An End to Lead Wheel Balancing Weights in California.

Written by Caroline Cox

Published by Center for Environmental Health.

This report announces a ground-breaking agreement to end the use of a common but not well-known lead product in California — wheel balancing weights.

Lead is a stunningly toxic metal. A long list of problems has been linked to lead exposure: lowered intelligence, behavior problems, cancer, strokes, high blood pressure, kidney problems, anemia, cavities, and delayed puberty. Children are particularly susceptible to lead’s toxic effects.

Download report.

A Report on the Women's Reproductive Health and the Environment Workshop

Written by Julia Barrett, Shelby Gonzalez, Heather Saranties MS and Julia Varshavsky

Produced by the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE)

Chemicals can impact female reprodcutive healthy by interfering with hormones that regulate reproductive system development.

A woman’s body goes through a wide range of changes throughout her lifetime. Each stage of her life, from fetal development through her post-menopause years, involves a direct relationship between her hormones and how her body develops and functions. When this relationship is in balance, it helps create the conditions for good health. When this relationship is out of balance, it can lead to a range of health problems that can be painful and devastating.

Download report.

Getting Contaminants Out of Children's Bath & Personal Care Products

Published by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

Despite marketing claims like “gentle” and “pure,” dozens of top-selling children’s bath products are contaminated with the cancer-causing chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, according to the March 2009 Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report, "No More Toxic Tub."

This study is the first to document the widespread presence of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in bath products for children, including baby shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions. Many products tested contained both chemicals.

Download report.

Toxic Chemicals in Flea and Tick Collars.

Written by Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, MPH and Gina Solomon, MD, MPH

Published by NRDC

Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on products designed to kill fleas and ticks on household pets, especially dogs and cats. While some of these products are safe, others leave harmful chemical residues on our pets’ fur and in our homes. These chemicals are highly hazardous to animals and humans, can damage the brain and nervous system, and cause cancer. A first-of-its-kind study by NRDC shows that high levels of pesticide residue can remain on a dog’s or cat’s fur for weeks after a flea collar is put on an animal. Residue levels produced by some flea collars are so high that they pose a risk of cancer and damage to the neurological system of children up to 1,000 times higher than the EPA’s acceptable levels.

Children are particularly at risk from these pesticides because their neurological and metabolic systems are still developing. They are also more likely than adults to put their hands in their mouths after petting an animal, and so are more likely to ingest the hazardous residues. We found that residues from two pesticides used in flea collars—tetrachlorvinphos and propoxur, among the most dangerous pesticides still legally on the market—were high enough to pose a risk to both children and adults who play with their pets.

Download report.

Download appendix.

Ranking Packaged Food Companies on BPA

Authored by Green Century Capital Management and As You Sow.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in the epoxy lining of canned foods and beverages and in polycarbonate, a hard, clear plastic. The chemical mimics estrogen in the body and researchers have found links between BPA and numerous health problems including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and metabolic disorders.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found BPA in the urine of over 90% of Americans tested.

Consumers are paying close attention to BPA and many are advocating for the use of alternatives. State and local governments have moved to ban the chemical from certain products, and federal legislators have introduced bills to regulate or ban BPA. Alternatives to the chemical exist for plastic products and, on a more limited basis, for can linings. The baby bottle industry and packaged food companies such as Eden Foods and Heinz have already begun transitioning to these alternatives. The continued use of BPA in products where a feasible alternative exists presents both financial and reputational risks to companies in the packaged food industry.

Seeking Safer Packaging is a project of Green Century Capital Management, Inc. (Green Century) and As You Sow. The authors sent letters to 20 companies in the packaged food industry to identify the actions the companies are taking to address concerns regarding BPA. Fourteen companies replied. Company scores are based entirely on their responses to these letters.

This scorecard reviews how leading packaged food companies are responding to increased consumer and investor concern about BPA. Seeking Safer Packaging ranks companies on three factors: 1) efforts to find and implement alternatives to BPA, 2) plans to phase out BPA in products for which alternatives exist, and 3) transparency on the issue.

The scorecard is accompanied by an introduction to health concerns linked to BPA exposure, the changing regulatory climate related to BPA, and studies of companies that have voluntarily removed the chemical from their products.

Green Century and As You Sow recommend that each of the companies featured in this scorecard switch to BPA-free technologies in every product line for which they are available and actively pursue a broader range of alternatives so as to protect public health and reduce their exposure to risks associated with BPA.

Download report.

How Too Clean May Be Hazardous To Our Healthy

A Report by Women's Voices for the Earth.

A new report from Women's Voices for the Earth argues that it is unnecessary to disinfect one’s homes to the degree that advertisers and manufacturers would have consumers believe.

Download report.

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We are at an incredible turning point in understanding how the environment impacts children’s health and development. A groundbreaking endeavor launched on January 13, 2009, The National Children's Study will follow 100,000 American children from preconception until the age of 21 to deepen our understanding of illnesses and diseases such as allergies, asthma, ADHD, childhood cancer, autism, diabetes and obesity.

The study is funded annually by Congress and will be carried out in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as a host of universities, hospitals, research centers and NGOs.

The children and their families will represent the diversity of economic and social factors that make up our population. 105 Study Centers have been set up across the country, guaranteeing that the children studied will reflect diverse backgrounds and situations, and thus highlight the differences that exist between groups of people in terms of health care access and disease occurrence.

Overall, the National Children's Study will be one of the richest research efforts on children's health and long-term development. Crucial to the public's access to this pioneering study is an organization like Healthy Child to translate and clarify the results of the research into understandable information for parents - identifying the new opportunities necessary to give children the healthiest lives possible.

• Sign the Declaration

• Keep Up To Date With These Bill Widgets

Senate

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More Information

Children are especially vulnerable to chemical exposure, yet safety regulations are too weak to offer them meaningful protection from untested--and potentially toxic--chemicals in consumer products like baby bottles, water bottles, shampoo and food packaging.

The Kids, Worker and Consumer Safe Chemicals Act, also known as the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act, would help reduce children's exposure to hazardous chemicals before and after birth and protect workers and other people. The Act responds to the growing body of scientific literature which is identifying chemical exposures as a factor in the rise of disorders and diseases such as certain types of cancer, birth defects, asthma, neurological and developmental disorders and infertility. Biomonitoring studies are finding hundreds of these synthetic chemicals in our bodies, even in infants and fetuses. With approximately 50 percent of breast cancer cases unexplained by factors such as genetics or diet, scientists are increasingly looking into the environmental causes of the disease. The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act would provide important safety measures in protecting people's health.

The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act would:

• Require manufacturers to provide health and safety information prior to distributing a chemical in consumer products, instead of presuming a substance is safe until proven dangerous;
• Increase public awareness by providing much needed hazard and exposure information to EPA and the public; and
• Require EPA to determine the safety of 300 chemicals within the next five years. By 2020, all chemicals distributed in commerce would need to meet the safety standard.

ACT NOW – send a letter to Congress:

Feel free to copy and paste this letter to send to your representatives (click here to find yours):

Dear US Senator,

I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor and support for the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act and become a co-sponsor of the legislation. This legislation would provide important safety protections for children, workers, and others regarding exposure to toxic chemicals.

An increasing number of scientific studies suggest that some chemicals may pose serious long-term public health risks, including cancer and childhood developmental disabilities. Powerful evidence suggests that environmental exposures, including everyday household chemicals found in pesticides, cleaning products, fuels, carpets and plastics, may trigger the chronic illness and disease in children.

For the vast majority of chemicals on the market today, there is little or no information available to the public on the potential human health impacts of exposure to these chemicals. The U.S. needs to create a system that provides adequate public information about the chemicals widely used in society and incentives to the business community to search for safer alternatives when hazardous chemicals are identified.

For these reasons, I urge you to co-sponsor The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act, which would require the submission of health data on commercial chemicals and establish a basic health standard for all chemicals used in consumer products--to protect children, workers, sensitive populations, consumers and others. Thank you for your consideration of this critically important legislation.

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This site has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. However, your confidential use of this site cannot be guaranteed by Healthy Child Healthy World. Healthy Child Healthy World shall not be responsible for any harm that you or any person may suffer as the result of a breach of confidentiality with respect to information you transmitted to the site.

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Users should be aware that our forums are public, not private communications. When you voluntarily disclose personal information on our forums, that information can be collected and used by others and may result in unsolicited messages from other people.

You shall not submit, upload or post to our forums any content which (1) libels, defames, invades privacy, or is obscene, pornographic, abusive, or threatening; (2) infringes any intellectual property or other right of any person or entity, including but not limited to, violating anyone’s copyrights or trademarks; (3) falsifies or deletes author attributions, legal notices or other proprietary designations; (4) violates any law; (5) advocates illegal activity; (6) contains viruses, corrupted files, or other materials that may cause damage to another’s computer, or (7) advertises or otherwise solicits funds or sales of goods or services. By posting any content on our forums, you automatically agree to indemnify Healthy Child Healthy World from and against any and all third party claims, demands, liabilities, costs or expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, resulting from your breach of these posting restrictions.

By posting any content on our forums, you automatically grant to Healthy Child Healthy World a perpetual, royalty-free, irrevocable and unrestricted worldwide right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from and distribute the posted content or incorporate the posted content into any form, medium, or technology now known or later developed for any purpose, including advertising and promotion, and you automatically waive all "moral rights" with respect to the posted content.

Outside Links

Healthy Child Healthy World has not reviewed all of the sites linked to this site and is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of any off-site pages or any other sites linked to this site, whether or not they are affiliated with Healthy Child Healthy World. Such linked sites are for your convenience only and you access them at your own risk. Healthy Child Healthy World makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or functioning of any such link. That another web site is linked to our site does not constitute endorsement by Healthy Child Healthy World of the owner of the other site, the content of its site, or its products or services.

Privacy

a. Normal website usage:

Healthy Child Healthy World has a firm commitment to internet privacy. You can visit most portions of healthychild.org without telling us who you are and without revealing any personal information.  The only information we collect from a normal web site visit is the name of your internet service provider, the browser and type of machine you are using, the web site that referred you to us, the pages you request and the date and time you request them. We use this information to generate statistics and measure site activity to improve the usefulness of the site to our visitors.

b. Collection of personally identifiable information:

Healthy Child Healthy World may collect email addresses and other personally identifiable data about visitors when such data is voluntarily submitted to healthychild.org.  For example, our site uses order forms for visitors to request information, products, and services, or to become a member. Contact information from the order form is used to send orders and information about Healthy Child Healthy World to our visitors.

c.  Healthy Child Healthy World makes every effort to ensure the secure collection and transmission of sensitive user information using industry accepted data collection and encryption methodologies.

d.  Healthy Child Healthy World does not sell or otherwise disclose such user information outside the organization. However, if you become a member of Healthy Child Healthy World, some information on our membership lists, such as your name and address, may be exchanged with other organizations.  Members may opt-out of such membership list exchanges by sending a message to info@healthychild.org

e.  Cookies:

Like most websites, Healthy Child Healthy World may place a "cookie," or small file, in the browser files of a visitor’s computer. We use cookies to save information you give us so you don’t have to re-enter it each time you visit our site. This allows us to personalize the site to your taste and provide the best web experience possible to our visitors.

f.  Special Notification with Respect to Children’s Privacy (Users under age of 13).

In response to concerns about protecting children’s privacy online, Congress enacted the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 ("COPPA"), which sets forth rules and procedures governing the ways in which Web sites may collect, use and disclose any personal information for children under the age of 13. In accordance with COPPA regulations, we DO NOT:

1. Request or knowingly collect personally identifiable online or offline contact information from users under 13 years of age;
2. Knowingly use or share personal information from users under 13 years of age with third parties;
3. Give children the ability to publicly post or otherwise distribute personally identifiable contact information;
4. Entice children with the prospect of a special game, prize or other activity to divulge more information than is needed to participate in the activity.

Questions regarding children’s privacy should be send to info@healthychild.org

Limitations on Healthy Child Healthy World’s Liability

The materials on this site are provided solely for educational and promotional purposes. Your use and browsing of this site is at your own risk. The materials could include technical inaccuracies or other errors. They are provided to you "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Healthy Child Healthy World does not warrant that the functions contained in healthychild.org materials will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that our site or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or other harmful components. Healthy Child Healthy World does not warrant or make any representations regarding the use or the results of the use of the materials on our site in terms of their correctness, accuracy, reliability, or otherwise. You (and not Healthy Child Healthy World) assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair or correction. Applicable law may not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you.

Under no circumstances, including, but not limited to, negligence, shall Healthy Child Healthy World be liable for any special or consequential damages that result from the use of, or inability to use, the materials on our site, even if Healthy Child Healthy World or a Healthy Child Healthy World-authorized representative has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Applicable law may not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability or incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you. In no event shall Healthy Child Healthy World’s total liability to you for all damages, losses, and causes of action, including but not limited to negligence, arising out of our in connection with your use of this site, exceed the amount paid by you, if any, for accessing this site.

General Provisions

The materials on healthychild.org are presented solely for promotional purposes in the United States and Canada. This site is operated under the supervision of Healthy Child Healthy World from its offices within the state of New Jersey. Healthy Child Healthy World products are available in many parts of the world. However, our site may describe products that are not available worldwide. Healthy Child Healthy World does not warrant or represent that materials on our site are appropriate or available for use in other locations. If you choose to access our site from other locations, you do so at your own initiative and you are responsible for complying with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable. You may not download or otherwise export or re-export software from our site in violation of United States export controls.

These terms shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the state of New Jersey, as they are applied to agreements entered into and to be performed entirely within New Jersey. Any claim or cause of action arising out of or relating to these terms shall be barred unless such claim or cause of action is brought within one year after it arises; any such claim or cause of action shall be brought only in the state or federal courts in the District of New Jersey, and you consent to jurisdiction of such courts for the purpose of litigating such actions.

Whenever possible, each provision of these terms shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision is deemed prohibited or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining provisions of these terms.

Healthy Child Healthy World reserves the right to remove for any reason posted materials from our forums, and the right to deny in its sole discretion any user access to our site or our forums, without notice.

This is the entire agreement between us relating to your use of this site. These terms may not be modified by you, in writing or otherwise, unless agreed to in a written document signed by Healthy Child Healthy World.

Healthy Child Healthy World holds funds management as a top priority.

Fy2007

• FY2007 Audit
  (PDF file | 768 KB)
• FY2007 IRS Form 990
  (PDF file | 660 KB)

Fy2006

• FY2006 Audit
  (PDF file | 80.3 KB)
• FY2006 IRS Form 990
  (PDF file | 469 KB)

Fy2005

• FY2005 Audit
  (PDF file | 541 KB)
• FY2005 IRS Form 990
  (PDF file | 169 KB)

FY2004

• FY2004 Audit
  (PDF - 66 KB)
• FY2004 IRS Form 990
  (PDF - 1 MB)

FY2003

• FY2003 Audit
  (PDF - 142 KB)
• FY2003 IRS Form 990
  (PDF - 753 KB)

FY2002

• FY2002 Audit
  (PDF - 66K)
• FY2002 IRS Form 990
  (PDF - 1MB)

Healthy Child Healthy World seeks interns in the following Los Angeles-based departments:

• Human Resources
• IT/Web
• Marketing
• Research & Writing
• Programs & Administration
• Public Relations / Events

We have an ongoing, rolling application process for internships. Please feel free to submit your resume and contact information at any point but keep in mind that we assign internships based on availability.

General Intern Requirements

• Minimum 3 months service, 10 hrs weekly; M-F but flexible between the hours of 8 am and 7 pm.
• Interest in children's health, environmental health and healthy living
• Professional demeanor
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work independently, as well as part of a team
• Ability to learn and adapt to a fast paced environment

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should e-mail resume, cover letter, writing sample, and dates of availability to: intern@healthychild.org

Many companies encourage their employees to make charitable contributions by matching their philanthropic support - some even match at an increased rate of $5 for each $1 given. The impact of corporate matching support can be enormous.

To find out if you work for a company who matches, consult your human resources office, which will provide you with a matching gift form. For further details contact us at: 310. 820. 2030.

Matching gift forms should be mailed to:

Healthy Child Healthy World
Attention: Donations
12300 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 320
Los Angeles, CA 90025

You can share the power of our efforts by donating or offering a substantial discount on items, products or services to Healthy Child Healthy World. We use these in-kind donations for educational events / fundraising events / and other community outreach opportunities.

Interested companies/individuals can contact our national headquarters in Los Angeles to donate in-kind items.

This is a partial list of common donations. If you don’t see an in-kind donation you’d like to make included in this list, please contact us, we appreciate many forms of creative in-kind donations.

• Creative / Marketing Service
• Advertising
• Consulting Services
• Public Relations
• Legal Services
• Event Management
• Coupons
• Furniture/appliances
• Movies/Event/Concert Tickets
• Airlines Miles
• Vehicles
• Hotel stays / Loyalty Points
• Travel Packages

Join Healthy Child and support our mission — to protect children from exposure to toxic substances that cause health problems — by taking one or more of these action steps today.

Action 1

SIGN-UP for the Healthy Child Times, our monthly email newsletter that provides healthy living tips, solutions, options, and steps to protect your children’s health.
Forward these links to ten friends you love and learn together about raising healthy families in a toxic world. Urge each person to forward the information to people they know.

Action 2

TAKE a virtual stroll through the Health eHome for 30 minutes and visit each room in the house filled with everything you need to know about hidden toxins and their healthy alternatives.

Action 3

REPLACE three toxic household cleaning and pest control products with safe alternatives (and throw in a few organic fruits and veggies from a green grocer) and consider switching permanently. You can find recommended products in the Shop Healthy section of our website. Take The 5 Easy Steps to make changes in your home.

Action 4

SPEARHEAD a campaign in your neighborhood to eliminate the use of lawn and garden pesticides and talk with your neighbors about adopting integrated pest management (IPM). Share your success with us. Since pesticides don't stay where you put them, what your neighbors use matters. Visit Beyond Pesticides for more info.

Action 5

GATHER other parents and start a playgroup. Modeled on the one started by Healthy Child's founder Nancy Chuda with her daughter Colette and friends, moms and babies gather for playtime and share what they are doing to keep their homes healthy.

Action 6

SPONSOR a Healthy Child event in your home or in your community. SPREAD the Healthy Child message by organizing a fundraiser or hosting a Healthy Child table at a local health fair or community gathering. Contact us for materials to distribute.

Action 7

STIMULATE discussion in your child's school or day care center, your community center, or parks and recreation department as to what precautions are being taken to ensure that kids are not being exposed to toxic substances in the air, food, water or consumer products in each of these places. Use articles from our site to focus the conversation.

Action 8

SEND a letter or an email to your member of Congress asking him/her to ensure funding for the U.S. EPA's Office of Children's Health Protection — the only government office charged with protecting the environmental health of the nation's children. We hear that this office will be dismantled soon, so your voice needs to be heard.

Action 9

SHARE your ideas with other Healthy Child advocates for children's health by contributing to the Healthy Child Healthy World Blog. Visit our blog to keep up to date with what’s going on and let people know what’s on your mind.

Action 10

SUPPORT Healthy Child by becoming a member or making a contribution. Your financial support will enable us to sustain our national campaign to educate parents throughout the United States on the importance of taking health protective steps for children in their homes, schools, and communities.

Take Action

You can speak out for children health by clicking on the links below to take action on current critical issues affecting children.

State and Federal Legislation / Policies

• Support Children’s Health Legislation.
• Take Public Action.
• Use Your Voice.

Support – State Legislation: SAFER

Join Healthy Child Healthy World as a key coalition partner and key strategist to The State Alliance for Federal Reform of Chemicals Policy (SAFER). This is a tightly coordinated campaign, whose long-term vision is to establish a new precautionary federal chemicals policy by 2020.

As the European Union moves ahead with new reforms that modernize toxic chemical policies, momentum builds in 8 States for similar measures that would replace commonly used toxic chemicals with safer alternatives. This bill initially targets 10 of the worst toxic chemicals found in common household products such as dry cleaning, pesticides, solvents, building materials, foam cushions, and electronics.

"The United States is becoming a dumping ground for common household products with toxic ingredients exported here from countries that ban their local sale," said Deborah Shields, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition. "If China and Europe can protect the health of their citizens from hazards like formaldehyde in plywood cabinets, why are we lagging so far behind?"

Countries around the globe are taking steps to prevent harm to health from toxic hazards by phasing out the use of toxic chemicals. Because the United States is lagging behind, these countries can continue to sell toxic products here. Late 2006, the European Parliament gave final approval to a sweeping reform of chemical regulations that requires the chemical industry to gather health and safety data on thousands of chemicals used in everyday commerce, and replace the most dangerous chemicals with safer substitutes. The new standards, known as REACH (for Registration, Evaluation, a nd Authorization of Chemicals), will begin in April 2007 and will roll out in stages over the next eleven or more years.

The core strategy of this state-based campaign is to launch and win a critical mass of comprehensive policy reform measures in key states to tip the balance for achieving reform at the federal level.

The ten chemicals initially targeted by the bill are lead, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (Perc), dioxins and furans, hexavalent chromium, organophosphate pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), 2,4, dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4, D).

Currently, coalitions in eight states are part of SAFER:

California(CHANGE)
Connecticut (Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut)
Maine (Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine) mbelliveau@preventingharm.org / 207-827-6331
Massachusetts (Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow) lketelsen@cleanwater.org 617-338-8131 ext. 206 / jen.baker@masspirg.org
Michigan (Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health) tracey@ecocenter.org / 734-663-2400 ext. 109
Minnesota (Healthy Legacy) dmckeown@cleanwater.org / 612-623-3666
New York (Alliance for a Toxic-Free Future)
Washington (Toxic Free Legacy Coalition)

If you reside in one of these states, use the contact information to get more deeply involved.

Support – Federal Legislation - KIDS SAFE CHEMICALS ACTION

Children are especially vulnerable to chemical exposure, yet safety regulations are too weak to offer them meaningful protection from untested--and potentially toxic--chemicals in consumer products like baby bottles, water bottles, shampoo and food packaging.

The Kids, Worker and Consumer Safe Chemicals Act (S.1391), also known as the Kids Safe Chemicals Act, would help reduce children's exposure to hazardous chemicals before and after birth and protect workers and other people. The Act responds to the growing body of scientific literature which is identifying chemical exposures as a factor in the rise of disorders and diseases such as certain types of cancer, birth defects, asthma, neurological and developmental disorders and infertility. Biomonitoring studies are finding hundreds of these synthetic chemicals in our bodies, even in infants and fetuses. With approximately 50 percent of breast cancer cases unexplained by factors such as genetics or diet, scientists are increasingly looking into the environmental causes of the disease. The Kids Safe Chemicals Act would provide important safety measures in protecting people's health.

The Kids Safe Chemicals Act would:

• Require manufacturers to provide health and safety information prior to distributing a chemical in consumer products, instead of presuming a substance is safe until proven dangerous;
• Increase public awareness by providing much needed hazard and exposure information to EPA and the public; and
• Require EPA to determine the safety of 300 chemicals within the next five years. By 2020, all chemicals distributed in commerce would need to meet the safety standard.

ACT NOW – send a letter to Congress:

Sign up now and Healthy Child Healthy World will add your name to this letter.

Dear US Senator,

I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor and support for the Kids Safe Chemicals Act (S. 1391) and become a co-sponsor of the legislation. This legislation would provide important safety protections for children, workers, and others regarding exposure to toxic chemicals.

An increasing number of scientific studies suggest that some chemicals may pose serious long-term public health risks, including cancer and childhood developmental disabilities. Powerful evidence suggests that environmental exposures, including everyday household chemicals found in pesticides, cleaning products, fuels, carpets and plastics, may trigger the chronic illness and disease in children.

For the vast majority of chemicals on the market today, there is little or no information available to the public on the potential human health impacts of exposure to these chemicals. The U.S. needs to create a system that provides adequate public information about the chemicals widely used in society and incentives to the business community to search for safer alternatives when hazardous chemicals are identified.

For these reasons, I urge you to co-sponsor The Kids Safe Chemicals Act (S.1391), which would require the submission of health data on commercial chemicals and establish a basic health standard for all chemicals used in consumer products--to protect children, workers, sensitive populations, consumers and others. Thank you for your consideration of this critically important legislation.

Support – Federal Legislation – National Children's Study

JOIN US – Long-term funding for the Largest Study on Children's Health Ever is not secured.

We need your help in showing support for 2008 funding of the National Children's Study.

The National Children's Study is a large longitudinal study intended to follow 100,000 births from pre-pregnancy and/or early pregnancy to adulthood (21 years of age). The Study will evaluate the effects of chemical, biological, physical and psychosocial factors on the health of children and young adults, as well as gene-environment interactions that may help identify individuals who are most susceptible to disease. The major outcomes that will be focused on in the Study include pregnancy outcomes, neurobehavioral development, psychiatric conditions, asthma, injuries, diabetes, obesity and physical development.

The National Children's Study should be a national priority if America wants to remain competitive fifty, or even fifteen years from now. Last year, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine predicted that obesity and diabetes would lead to reduced life expectancy for the first time since the Great Depression. Obese children become obese adults, suffer heart disease and stroke earlier, and burden our health care system. Poor health undermines our economy. Our nation already spends 17% of its gross domestic product on health care. Spiraling health care costs hurt taxpayers, hurt productivity and hurt competitiveness. In the 1940s, we faced a similar epidemic in adults. Heart disease and stroke were killing forty year olds. A study in Framingham, Massachusetts - the Study on which the National Children’s Study is modeled - paved the way for the prevention of heart disease, stroke, breast and colon cancers. Life expectancy has soared since then. Now we face a similar epidemic among our children, and the need for another study like the Framingham Heart Study.

By working with pregnant women and couples, the study will gather an unprecedented amount of data about how environmental factors alone, or interacting with genetic factors, affect childhood health. Examining a wide range of environmental factors – from air, water, and dust to what children eat and how often they see a doctor – the study will help develop prevention strategies and cures for a wide range of childhood diseases. By collecting data nationwide – before diseases arise – the study can test unproven theories and generate hypotheses that will inform spin-off studies for years to come. Simply put, this seminal effort will provide the foundation for children’s healthcare in the 21st Century.

The outcome of these efforts will provide the most complete data to date on the effects of early life exposures to multiple environmental factors, and will be key to understanding the toxicity of a number of environmental agents, life stages of susceptibility, and genetic factors that contribute to susceptibility.

The Study will provide a wealth of data to improve the health of the nation's children for years to come. Thank you for your support and taking action.

ACT NOW – send a letter to Congress to insist on continued funding in 2008:

Make sure you are a member and Healthy Child will add your name and voice to our efforts.

Give Us Your Greatest Gift: Your Time!

Volunteers are an essential force behind Healthy Child Healthy World. The generosity of people like you enables us to carry out our mission and educate the public about preventing toxic environmental exposures. Every year, people across the country give their time and talent to serve in a variety of ways. From helping out at the Healthy Child Healthy World headquarters to helping organize and coordinate events all over the country, we have many volunteer opportunities. Come join in and help us protect children!

If you are interested in volunteering, please send an email with your experience, availability and desired volunteer opportunity to volunteer@healthychild.org or call the Volunteer Coordinator at 310-820-2030.

Volunteer Opportunities Include:

Administrative support:
Running errands, staffing the office, proofing, word processing, and desktop publishing -- all the miscellaneous work that keeps the organization 'alive'.

Technical:
Web page design and upkeep, fixing code and adding new web programs, server/workstation installation and repair, database repair.

Development work:
Event planning, fund raising, grant writing, public relations.

Organizational:
Accounting, business management, facilitation.

Artistic work:
Graphic design and visual art both for the web site and printed material.

Languages:
Translation, interpretation.

Legal:
For anyone who is an attorney, paralegal, law student, or trained legal observer.

It is our mission to inspire parents to protect children from harmful chemicals, reduce environmental impacts, and promote resource conservation.

We believe consumer products should not only be safe and non-toxic for people, but they should also be safe and non-toxic for the environment.

We believe consumers value the health and environmental effects of the products they buy, but lack the time to research high-quality non-toxic options.

We welcome the opportunity to partner with products and services that fall within our guidelines and pass our strict screening and due diligence investigations.

We believe our partner companies should have integrity and transparency regarding their products and expect companies to honestly screen their submissions based on our criteria.

In order to fulfill our mission and goals, our Trusted Partners must guarantee their products: 

• Do not contain ingredients that are chronically toxic – including carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxicants, mutagens, and teratogens
• Do not contain toxic dyes
• Do not contain chemicals identified in the International Chemical Secretariat’s SIN List
• Do not contain PVC and is not packaged in PVC
• Do not contain heavy metals – including lead, mercury, cobalt, hexavalent chromium, nickel, beryllium, arsenic, and cadmium
• Do not contain nanoparticles
• Do not contain known genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in actual ingredients (cross-contamination is exempt)

For Partnership and Sponsorship Opportunities with us, please email partnerships@healthychild.org to request a Partnership Kit.

1. Kawasaki Disease, How to Clean Carpets
2. Orange Cleaners, Homemade Cleaners, Disinfectants
3. Paints
4. Flea Control
5. Insect Repellent
6. Wood Decks and Playsets
7. Beauty Products and Breastfeeding
8. Storing and Heating Food in Plastic Containers
9. Pesticide Spraying Policies in Your Neighborhood
10. Indoor Air Pollution
11. Resources for Sick Children
12. Identifying Toxic Substances?
13. Identifying Pesticides
14. Harmful Household Products
15. Accidental Exposure
16. Using and Storing Household Chemicals and Pesticides

You hear it all the time; children grow like weeds. They really do and it means they can’t stay in the safety and comfort of your home, under your watchful eye forever. In order to create a healthy environment, no matter where they are, we have to take action, together, to make the world a better place- not just our homes.

We want you to have the tools to make bigger changes. And, trust us, you can. We’ve been empowering people for years and they have done some pretty amazing things. What are you waiting for?

Healthy Community Toolkit

The Healthy Child Healthy World GREEN HOME GUIDE has been a long time coming. This is our indispensable online guide created for those of you wanting to transform your living space into a healthier, greener and more efficient place to raise your family. We've included easy-to-do tips, expert advice, and smart solutions, which will eliminate any difficulty or guesswork from the process of transforming your home, loft or apartment into that healthy and eco-friendly environment you deserve.

Coming soon...

Get involved by hosting a Healthy Home Party

Healthy Child Healthy World and LUNA share in your passion for creating healthy environments for children and families. We would like to help you raise awareness and action through community education. With the information we provide, you’ll be able to educate and empower your family, friends, schools, and community to protect children’s health and development from the common contaminants we are exposed to every day. YOU can make a big difference and inspire those around you to take Easy Steps to create safer and healthier living environments.

Our Healthy Home Party Kit is available to you for a minimum tax deductible donation of ONLY $20, thanks to our great sponsors, such as Born Free, Naturepedic, Mothering Magazine, LUNA, and many more. Due to limited resources, we can only give out ONE HHP Kit per household, per year. If you would like to receive a second Healthy Home Party Kit within the one-year time limit, then please make a donation of $100 to cover expenses. Please note: We DO NOT ship outside the US.

Due to high popularity of our Healthy Home Party Kits, we currently are experiencing a delay in fulfilling requests and it can take up to 3-4 weeks for delievery. To ensure the receipt of one of our limited Healthy Home Party Kits, please sign up NOW. Its a fantastic and effective way to make your voice heard and spread awareness about children's health issues in your community.

This interactive virtual house helps make it easy for you to identify environmental health hazards in the home. It also has a powerful interactive quiz that offers personalized information for everyone’s lifestyle and home.

Healthy Child Healthy World holds funds management as a top priority.

Our FY2008 audited financial statement and IRS form 990 are available in pdf format.

• FY2008 Audit
  (PDF file | 367 KB)
• FY2008 IRS Form 990
  (PDF file | 380 KB)

View Archive: 2002-2007

Healthy Child Healthy World

12300 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 320
Los Angeles, California 90025
Tel: 310.820.2030
Fax: 310.820.2070

To contact us by e-mail, please complete and submit the following form.

We work with many non-profit, health, nutrition, research, medical, and environmental leaders, many of whom make the Healthy Child Healthy World collaboration a long-term commitment – one that will expand over time to create greater outcomes for the children and families we serve. These are a few of the wonderful partnerships who work with and support us to bring a safer, greener, and healthier life to families across the United States and around the world:

Healthy Child Healthy World includes: scientists creating solutions, physicians advancing the cause, activists spreading awareness, and parents implementing change to protect children's health. A diverse array of perspectives, backgrounds, and expertise makes for well-rounded and effective advice. Children are our most precious resource and creating a world where they can flourish is the best way to secure a healthy and bright future for us all.

Public Service Announcement

 

Learn About Healthy Child Healthy World

 

Learn valuable baby health and development lessons month by month through pregnancy and until age 2

This monthly email delivers age-specific environmental health lessons throughout pregnancy and the first 2 years of your child's life.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit inspiring parents to protect young children from harmful chemicals.

We are leading a movement that educates parents, supports protective policies, and engages communities to make responsible decisions, simple everyday choices, and well-informed lifestyle improvements to create healthy environments where children and families can flourish.

Healthy Child Healthy World exists because more than 125 million Americans, especially children, now face an historically unprecedented rise in chronic disease and illness such as cancer, autism, asthma, birth defects, ADD / ADHD, and learning and developmental disabilities. Credible scientific evidence increasingly points to environmental hazards and household chemicals as causing and contributing to many of these diseases.

For the past two decades Healthy Child Healthy World has been the nation's leading organization of its kind. We help millions of parents, educators, health professionals, and the general public take action to create healthy environments and embrace green, non-toxic steps.

Purpose and Goals

• Expand awareness and understanding of environmental hazards to children's health
• Help the public learn about healthier practices, solutions, and products in the marketplace
• Encourage daily action and informed lifestyle choices
• Create standards and policies for safer products, foods, materials, and chemicals used in the home – promoting safer options and new alternatives
• Advocate for and support corporate policies and governmental legislation that protect children from environmental risks
• Engage communities to make wise choices and responsible decisions so families can flourish

Healthy Child Healthy World was founded by James and Nancy Chuda in 1991 after their daughter Colette died from Wilm's tumor — a rare form of non-hereditary cancer. Healthy Child is a national, non-profit 501(c) 3 organization headquartered in Los Angeles. Healthy Child is governed by an outstanding volunteer Board of Directors and distinguished group of advisors and is strengthened by community and corporate partners. Healthy Child is playing a leadership role in one of the most important public health and environmental movements of the 21^st century.

Healthy Child Healthy World Timeline

2009

September

• Eat Healthy, an online health and nutrition resource, is launched.

April

• Paperback edition of Healthy Child Healthy World, Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home by Executive Director/CEO Christopher Gavigan is released.

February

• WebMD and Healthy Child collaborate to re-launch the HealtheHome program, a virtual tour of toxic home hazards, nationally on WebMD.com

January

• The National Children’s Study launches with Healthy Child as a national supporter.

2008

September

• Healthy Child, the Environmental Working Group, and The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics host a lecture and educational event, “What’s Going On? Toxic Chemicals in Our Toys, Cosmetics, and Bodies”, in Los Angeles, CA.

June

• Launch of the Wee Generation Baby Bag, a collaboration with Seventh Generation, Rickshaw Bags, architect William McDonough, and Healthy Child to produce the world’s first entirely sustainable diaper bag.

May

• Healthy Child collaborates with Anna Getty to launch and publicize May as annual Pregnancy Awareness Month.

• Christopher Gavigan’s book, Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home, wins the iParenting Media Award for Excellence in 2008.

April

• The book, Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home, by Christopher Gavigan launches nationally in hardcover.

• Launch of the Healthy Home in Austin, Texas

2007

December

• Healthy Home Party Kit program, an at-home education kit, launches. CHEC Report is re-launched as a monthly newsletter called Healthy Child Times

October

• Debut of “The 5 Steps” Public Service Announcement video.

September

• Project 710, a LEED certified green home in Venice, CA, is built. The proceeds from the launch party and home tours benefit Healthy Child Healthy World.

August

• Healthy Child, Breast Cancer Fund, and Environment California co-host a rally and press conference in Douglas Park, Santa Monica Environment California to apply pressure to California legislature to support Toxic Toys Bill – AB 1108, which was signed into law on October 14th, 2007.

July

• Healthy Child, Seventh Generation, and InStyle Magazine, with singer Sara Evans, host an Eco–Baby Shower in Nashville, Tennessee for Sheryl Crow and son Wyatt.

May

• Christopher Gavigan recognized in Elle Magazine as a Green Award winner for 2007.
• Recorded introduction for educational DVD funded by Shaklee CEO and Healthy Child Board Member, Roger Barnett.

February

• Educational DVD “Creating Healthy Environments for Children” launches nationally.

2006

September

• Healthy Child is officially rebranded, no longer using the name Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC), and re-launches website. The rebrand was informed and overseen by Cronan, a firm specializing in brand strategy, identity, and naming.

August

• Dr. Alan Greene joins CHEC’s Advisory Board.

June

• Healthy Child hosts a gala honoring William McDonough, Dr. Philip Landrigan, and Arianna Huffington and presents them the 2006 Environmental Leadership Award in Los Angeles, California.

May

• The Blue Butterfly Campaign launches with spokespeople Amy Brenneman and Laura Dern promoting “The 5 Easy Steps” reaching over 139 million people.

2005

November

• CHEC hosts an educational evening in New York City to spread awareness about children's health and honor Ray Anderson, John Adams, and Maria Rodale for their important roles for improving  environmental health.

October

• Founders, Nancy and Jim Chuda showcase their Green Home.  In collaboration with Los Angeles Magazine, they open it to the public for educational tours.

2004

• CHEC hosts an educational event honoring Dr. Clive Robbins, Whole Foods, and founding board member and celebrity advocate for CHEC, Olivia Newton-John for their service on behalf of environmental health.  It takes place in Los Angeles, CA.

2003

October

• Kelly Preston is featured in the CIGNA Power of Caring series in Time, Sports Illustrated and People magazines, reaching over 90 million readers.

September

• Cedars Sinai Medical Center of Los Angeles provides new parents with CHEC's video on preventing exposure to toxins in and around the home, Not Under My Roof! Protecting Your Baby From Toxins At Home.

July

• CHEC's comprehensive and user-friendly guidebook, Household Detective: Protecting Your Children From Toxins At Home, is re-released.

June

• CHEC Board Member Erin Brockovich is featured on 7 million Organic Valley milk cartons that help to educate consumers that "choosing organic is an easy way to protect our children's health."

May

• CHEC partners with Earthbound Farm, the nation's largest organic produce company, and five other top organic food and natural product brands to increase membership and encourage consumers to buy organic.

2002

October

• CHEC celebrates its 10th-year anniversary with a benefit concert, One World One Child, in Beverly Hills, CA.

June

• CHEC launches the Erin Brockovich Action Kit, 10 easy steps that everyone can take to support children’s environmental health.

May

• CHEC launches the Health-eNews, a free email newsletter sent twice monthly containing news briefs and tips.

February

• Kelly Preston launches CHEC's HealtheHouse, an online portal identifying environmental health hazards, on Good Morning America and The View.

2001

November

• “Not Under My Roof!” is added to The Newborn Channel programming in over 1,000 maternity hospitals.
• First Steps, a monthly email program enabling parents to receive information throughout their baby's first year of life, launches.

May

• CHEC releases a 15-minute special-interest video, “Not Under My Roof: Protecting Your Baby from Toxins at Home”, hosted by Olivia Newton-John and Kelly Preston.

2000

December

• Erin Brockovich joins CHEC's Advisory Board.

June

• Jubilation Concert 2000, a fundraiser chaired by Vice President Al Gore, is held at the home of Cindra and Alan Ladd, Jr. in Los Angeles, CA.

March

• The Senate approves an amendment written by Senator Boxer on Pesticide Use in Schools, requiring schools to give parents 48-hour notice before spraying any pesticide that contains a known carcinogen or toxin.

1999

November

• Over 60 national government, academic, medical, and community-based organizations sign on to The Guiding Principles of the Partnership for Children's Health and the Environment.

September

• CHEC and the Institute for Children's Environmental Health (ICEH) co-convene the Children's Environmental Health Summit, in New York.

June

• CHEC creates its Science Advisory Committee of 12 nationally recognized health science experts including Dr. Philip Landrigan and Dr. Harvey Karp.
• CHEC adopts a National Environmental Childproofing Campaign, a multi-media outreach to expand the well-known practice of "childproofing" the home to include limiting unnecessary exposures to environmental pollutants.

1998

February

• The Household Detective Primer: How to Protect Your Children From Toxins in the Home, an introduction to non-toxic alternatives available to parents, is published.

1997

April

• President Clinton signs Executive Order 12606 endorsing improved research to protect children and the establishment of new safeguards that consider special environmental health risks.
• The Chudas attend a press conference in Washington, DC with Senator Boxer (CA) and Representative James Moran (VA) where the Children's Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), H.R. 2451, is introduced in the House of Representatives.

1996

November

• The first CHEC Report, an educational newsletter to inform parents how they can safeguard their children from environmental toxins, is published.

October

• The Chudas are awarded The California League of Conservation Voters' Environmental Leadership Award for their dedication to children's environmental health protection.

September

• Senator Barbara Boxer (CA) introduces in the Senate the Children’s Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and dedicates the bill to the memory of Colette Chuda.

1994

November

• Handle With Care: Children and Environmental Carcinogens, authored by the Natural Resources Defense Council, is published.

1992

June

• CHEC is created with the mission to inform parents about the preventable childhood health and developmental problems caused by exposure to toxic substances and to educate the public on risk reduction.
• Olivia Newton-John agrees to serve as CHEC’s national spokesperson.

1991

April

• Nancy and Jim Chuda establish the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund (CCEF) after their daughter, Colette, dies of a non-genetic cancer.