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Proclamation on Child Health
Day, 2020
— HEALTHCARE | Issued on: October 3,2020
— ~ ~ ~
Children are one of life's greatest blessings. They bring boundless joy to families and enrich our communities. On Child Health Day, we are reminded
of our solemn obligation to love and protect these precious lives, and we recommit to helping America's youth reach their full potential.
Our Nation is home to the greatest doctors and medical professionals in the world, and yet, the health of too many American children is compromised
at the earliest stages of life. To end this tragedy, my Administration is taking action to empower doctors and families so that children thrive at every
stage of development. To reduce the rate of infant death, we have invested more than $100 million in the Healthy Start initiative, which particularly
targets minority communities. We have also updated and improved clinical guidelines that healthcare professionals use for prenatal checkups,
leading to safer births and healthier babies. As President, and as a father and grandfather, I will continue to work to ensure that every American
family has the ability to raise healthy children, regardless of their income, education, or racial or ethnic background.
It is also vitally important to safeguard the mental, spiritual, and physical health of our children as they grow up. To this end, the First Lady launched
her BE BEST initiative in 2018, an effort that has promoted whole-of-person wellness for children since its inception. BE BEST encourages character
development and respect for others and provides education, awareness, and coping skills to help youth navigate issues they may face, including
online safety and opioid and drug misuse. The positive habits encouraged by the BE BEST program have and will continue to develop future leaders,
strengthening our Nation and affecting positive change in communities throughout the United States.
This year, we also celebrate 10 years of success in the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, which helps prevent
child neglect and provides families with the tools they need to raise children who are physically, socially, and emotionally healthy. The First Lady and
I recognize the importance of creating a healthy environment in which to raise a child, and my Administration will always support children in need.
In recent months, we have also seen the effects of the coronavirus on the health of our Nation's children. While children are at a very low risk from
the coronavirus itself, lockdowns and school closures pose significant risks to the health and wellbeing of our young people. My Administration
recognizes that extended school closures cause students to fall behind academically and can have devastating effects on the long-term prospects
for school-aged children. Many children, especially those from low-income and minority communities, rely on schools for resources that they do
not have access to when schools are closed. Schools provide meals, counseling, physical activity, social interaction, and other experiences that play
a crucial role in the development of our young people. For these reasons, lockdowns and school closures can often pose a greater risk to children
than the coronavirus, and we must take action to both empower parents and students to take control of their education and equip teachers to best
ensure the wellbeing of their students.
In recognition of the vital role schools play in the health of our Nation's children, my Administration has taken aggressive action to help our schools
open safely. The bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which I signed into law in March, designates $750 million — in
addition to the $10.6 billion already appropriated — in funding to the Head Start and Early Head Start programs, which help prepare low-income
children for kindergarten. Furthermore, we have provided school districts with $25 billion for personal protective equipment and other resources
to lower the risk of the spread of coronavirus, and I have called on the Congress to provide an additional $105 billion toward this effort. We have
also provided every State with revolutionary point-of-care tests that deliver results in under 15 minutes. In preparation for the imminent delivery of
a safe, effective coronavirus vaccine, last month I also directed the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance under the Public
Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act which allows State-licensed pharmacy professionals to administer vaccines to individuals ages three
and older. This action will greatly expand vaccine access, especially among children, and will expedite our ongoing recovery effort. As one Nation,
we will continue our push to safely reopen while also protecting the most vulnerable among us.
Our Nation's children are the hope and promise of our future. Parents, educators, clergy members, mentors, and community volunteers all influence
and shape the lives of young people. On this Child Health Day, let us renew our commitment to the vital role we all share in raising, nurturing,
protecting, empowering, and encouraging America's youth so that they may enjoy healthy, happy, and fulfilled lives.
The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 18,1928, as amended (36 U.S.C. 105), has called for the designation of the first Monday in October
as Child Health Day and has requested that the President issue a proclamation in observance of this day.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Monday, October 5, 2020, as Child Health Day. I call upon families, child health professionals, faith-
based and community organizations, and governments to help ensure that America's children stay safe and healthy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence
of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
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Protecting children's health is one of the most important responsibilities of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). Over the last 50 years, the agency has worked to fulfill its mission by
improving the nation's air, cleaning up our lands, ensuring that Americans have safe water for
drinking and recreation, and providing a cleaner, healthier environment—especially for pregnant
women, infants, and children who are in the most vulnerable life stages. This brochure highlights
some of EPA's current initiatives to protect children where they live, learn, and play.
"Our nation's children are our nation's future, so we need to ensure that
their health is protected from environmental hazards. All Americans,
regardless of their income or zip code, deserve a clean and healthy
environment for themselves and their children, and EPA will do
all t can to ensure this happens/'
- EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler
EPA remains committed to improving children's environmental health outcomes. Specifically, EPA
seeks to:
• ensure that the air children breathe at home, school, and outdoors is clean, as children breathe
more air, and more rapidly, than adults;
• ensure that children have clean water for recreation and that the water children drink meets
protective federal standards;
• limit chemical exposures to children;
PROTECTING CHILDREN'S HEALTH • OCTOBER 2020
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• remediate hazardous and toxic waste sites; and
• use research to stay ahead of emerging children's environmental health challenges.
Protecting children where they live, learn, and play is a cross-agency effort that includes the Office
of Children's Health Protection, cross-agency offices, program offices, and regional offices. To learn
more about what EPA is doing to protect children's health, visit: https://www.epa.aov/children and
https://www.epa.aov/schools.
COMMUNICATING RISK
EPA is committed to advancing and improving the way it communicates health risks to the
American public. By increasing our reliance on best practices and research from the field of risk
communication, we are improving the consistency and quality of our efforts. Risk communication
on children's environmental health issues must account for children's unique vulnerabilities due to
their physiology, development, and behavior. Given that outreach to protect children is typically
targeted to their parents, teachers, medical providers, or other caretakers, partnerships across
these audiences is important. Providing meaningful, understandable, and actionable advice to the
American public to protect children's health and safeguard their futures is a priority for the agency.
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PROTECTING CHILDREN'S HEALTH • OCTOBER 2020
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PROTECTING CHILDREN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
As part of efforts to safely reopen schools, EPA continues to work in close partnership with the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), states, local governments, and tribes to provide
up-to-date information to protect public health as school districts, private schools, and universities
develop and implement COVID-19 re-entry plans for their students, staff, and parents.
EPA continues to add products to List N: Disinfectants for Use Against COVID-19 that are expected
to kill SARS-CoV-2. When using an EPA-registered disinfectant, follow the label directions for safe,
effective use. These directions include, but are not limited to:
• Always follow the product label to ensure safety. This includes following directions regarding
the contact time, or the amount of time the surface should be visibly wet.
• Keep disinfectants out of reach of children. Children should not apply disinfectants, including
pre-moistened disinfectant wipes and sprays. While disinfectants are powerful tools for
controlling the spread of disease, they may harm children's health if used or stored incorrectly
The risk disinfectants pose to human health increases if the label is not followed.
• Only use fogging, fumigation, and wide-area or electrostatic spraying to apply EPA-registered
products designed and labeled for use in this way. Unless the pesticide product label
specifically includes disinfection directions for these application methods, it may not be
effective when applied in these ways.
• Do not apply disinfectants to skin, food, or cloth face coverings. Do not mix disinfectants with
other chemicals. Use disinfectants only at the concentrations specified in the label directions.
For more information on List N, visit: https://www.epa.aov/pesticide-reaistration/iist-n-disinfectants-
use-aaainst-sars-cov-2-covid-19.
PROTECTING CHILDREN'S HEALTH • OCTOBER 2020
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if an EPA-registered
disinfectant from List N
is not available, diluted
household bleach can
be used to disinfect
surfaces. Users should
closely follow the bleach
dilution directions on
the CDC's website,
including precautions. For
more information, visit:
https://www.cdc.aov/
coronavirus/2019-ncov/
prevent-aettina-sick/
disinfecting-vour-home.
html.
EPA also has guidance
related to indoor air
quality and COVID-19. Increasing ventilation with outdoor air and improved air filtration, in addition
to following other CDC guidelines, can help reduce risk from indoor transmission of the virus.
Also, ventilation during and after cleaning, for example by opening windows or doors, is helpful
in reducing exposure to cleaning products, byproducts, and any particles resuspended during
cleaning, including those potentially carrying viruses. Sensitive people, including children with
asthma, should avoid exposure to cleaning products, which can exacerbate symptoms. For
information on ventilation while cleaning and disinfecting, visit: https://www.epa.oov/coronavirus/
ventilation-and-coronavirus-covid-19. For information specific to the school setting, visit: www.epa.
oov/iao-schools/healthv-indoor-environments-schools-plans-practices-and-principles-maintainino-
healthv and https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/i-need-disinfect-public-space-store-or-school-what-
do-i-need-know.
Throughout the COVID-19 national health emergency, EPA has worked to support the water sector to
ensure that Americans can continue to rely on safe drinking water and critical wastewater services.
EPA also supported states and
cities in taking proactive measures
to ensure continued access to safe
water for drinking and handwashing
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many drinking water systems
have discontinued service cut-
offs, restored service to customers
whose service was previously cut-
off, and refrained from imposing
penalties for nonpayment. For
additional EPA resources on
COVID-19, visit: https://www.eoa.
oov/coronavirus.
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PROTECTING CHILDREN'S HEALTH • OCTOBER 2020
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REDUCING AND PREVENTING LEAD EXPOSURES
EPA is celebrating National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW), October 25-31, 2020, an
annual "call to action" aimed at bringing families, individuals, community-based organizations, state,
tribal and local governments, and others together to protect current and future generations from
exposure to lead. For more information on NLPPW, visit: https://www.epa.oov/lead/national-iead-
poisonina-prevention-week.
To facilitate coordination and collaboration across EPA program offices, regional offices, states,
and tribes—and to address the needs of vulnerable populations by decreasing environmental
burdens, increasing environmental benefits, and working collaboratively to build healthy, sustainable
communities—EPA has implemented a structure to support efficient decision making and effective
collaboration on issues and actions related to reducing exposure to lead in the environment.
Through the Trump Administration's December 2018 Federal Action Plan
to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Associated Health Impacts
(Action Plan), EPA is committed to aggressively addressing lead issues
by working with communities and partners to identify and eliminate lead
exposure across the nation, especially for children who are the most
vulnerable. For more information on the Action Plan, visit: https://www.
epa.aov/lead/federal-action-plan-reduce-childhood-lead-exoosure. For
more information on EPA's progress in implementing the Action Plan,
visit: https://www.eoa.aov/leadactionolanimplementation.
PROTECTING CHILDREN'S HEALTH • OCTOBER 2020
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EPA ACTIVITIES IN THE LAST YEAR—HIGHLIGHTS
FEBRUARY 2020
Announced the Availability of $39.9 Million to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water under the Water
Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. For more information, visit: https://www.epa.
aov/dwcapacitv/wiin-arant-reduction-lead-exposure-drinkina-water-under-sdwa-section-1459b.
MARCH 2020
Announced the Availability of $26 Million to states for the Lead Testing in School and Child Care
Program Drinking Water under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. For
more information on WIIN grants, visit: https://www.epa.oov/dwcapacitv/wiin-orant-reduction-lead-
exposure-drinkina-water-under-sdwa-section-1459b. For more information on the Lead Testing in
School and Child Care Program Drinking Water grant, visit: https://www.epa.oov/dwcapacitv/wiin-
qrant-lead-testina-school-and-child-care-proaram-drinkina-water.
JUNE 2020
Released a Proposal to Reduce the Clearance Levels for Lead in Dust on floors and windowsills
after lead removal activities. The proposed, tighter standards would increase the effectiveness of
work done to remove lead-based paint hazards in pre-1978 homes and childcare facilities, known
as abatement, and lower the risk of lead exposure by ensuring that lead-based paint hazards are
effectively and permanently eliminated following completion of the work. For more information, visit:
https://www.epa.aov/lead/hazard-standards-and-clearance-levels-lead-paint-dust-and-soil-tsca-
sections-402-and-403.
JULY 2020
Announced a final rule to reduce lead in plumbing materials used in public water systems, homes,
schools, and other facilities. The Use of Lead-Free Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder, and Flux for
Drinking Water final rule significantly limits the lead content allowed in plumbing materials used in
new construction and in the replacement of existing plumbing from 8% to 0.25% in accordance with
the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act of 2011. For more information, visit: https://www.epa.
gov/sdwa/use-lead-free-pipes-fittings-fixtures-solder-and-flux-drinking-water.
Announced the Availability of more than $4 Million to tribal consortia for the Tribal Lead Testing in
School and Child Care Program Drinking Water under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the
Nation (WIIN) Act. For more information on WIIN grants, visit: https://www.epa.gov/dwcapacitv/wiin-
grant-reduction-lead-exposure-drinking-water-under-sdwa-section-1459b. For more information
on Tribal Testing in School and Child Care Program Drinking Water, visit: https://www.epa.gov/
tribaldrinkingwater/wiin-act-section-2107-lead-testing-school-and-child-care-program-drinking-
water.
OCTOBER 2020
Released the new curriculum, Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy! This
robust set of educational tools support and advance on-the-ground, community-based resources
to empower individuals to act within their own homes to protect their children and communities.
The curriculum is a series of four modules which include lesson plans, worksheets, key messages,
presentation slides, and activity sheets for children that community leaders can use to improve
public awareness of the dangers associated with lead exposure and promote preventative actions.
For more information, visit: www.epa.gov/lead.
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FUNDING
HEALTHY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS
In April, EPA released the Children's Healthy Learning
Environments Grant Initiative to support capacity-
building around children's environmental health in
schools and childcare settings. EPA will award grants
to New York State Department of Health and the
Community Development Institute to advance children's
environmental health by providing training and tools for
school occupants and childcare providers to reduce
children's exposures to environmental hazards. For more information, visit: httDs://www.epa.aov/
children/childrens-healthv-learnina-environments-arant-initiative-rfa-iune-2020.
CENTER FOR EARLY LIFESTAGE VULNERABILITIES TO
ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS
In August, EPA announced the request for applications to support a new Center for Early Lifestage
Vulnerabilities to Environmental Stressors. EPA will support a transdisciplinary research center to
better understand potential causal relationships among cumulative exposures to chemicals and non-
chemical environmental stressors during early lifestages and modifying factors that result in adverse
developmental health effects during early childhood. For more information, visit: https://www.epa.
qov/research-qrants/center-earlv-lifestaae-vulnerabilities-environmental-stressors.
PROTECTING CHILDREN'S HEALTH • OCTOBER 2020
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PARTNERSHIPS
PEDIATRIC ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALTY UNITS
(PEHSUS)
Based at university medical centers
in each of EPA's 10 regions, and
supported through an ongoing
partnership between EPA and the
Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR), PEHSUs
are an interconnected network of
environmental health specialists who
provide medical information and
advice on the prevention, diagnosis,
management and treatment of
environmental conditions that influence
reproductive and children's health.
PEHSUs work with health care professionals, parents, community groups, schools, and federal,
state, and local agencies to address children's environmental health issues in homes, schools, and
communities. For more information, visit: https://www.pehsu.net/.
THE PRESIDENT'S TASK FORCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
RISKS AND SAFETY RISKS TO CHILDREN (TASK FORCE)
The Task Force is the focal point for federal collaboration to promote and protect children's
environmental health. Established in 1997 by Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children from
Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks, the Task Force is co-chaired by EPA Administrator
Andrew Wheeler and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex
Azar and is comprised of representatives from 17 federal departments and offices. The Task Force
addresses issues such as
reducing exposures to lead,
childhood asthma, and other
issues pertinent to children's
health. For more information
on the Task Force, visit: https://
ptfceh.niehs.nih.gov/index.htm.
For more information on the
Executive Order, visit: https://
www.epa.gov/children/executive-
order-13045-protection-children-
environnieri tall-health risks-arid-
safetv-risks.
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PROTECTING CHILDREN'S HEALTH • OCTOBER 2020
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THE CHILDREN'S HEALTH PROTECTION ADVISORY
COMMITTEE (CHPAC)
Since 1997, CHPAC provides policy advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on a
wide range of environmental issues impacting the health of children, such as, air and water pollution
regulations, chemical safety programs, risk assessment policies, research, and risk communication.
CHPAC convened in January and July 2020. For more information, visit: https://www.epa.gov/
children/chpac.
FAMILY, CAREER, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS OF AMERICA
(FCCLA)
In March, EPA signed an MOU with FCCLA to promote safer K-12 school environments. This
partnership will give FCCLA the opportunity to establish children's environmental health as a priority
issue for youth and will encourage high school students to use publicly available EPA environmental
education resources in the planning and implementation of their projects. For more information, visit:
https://fcclainc.org/compete/star-events.
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Progress for a Stronger Future
www.epa.gov/children
www.epa.gov/schools
www.epa.gov/lead
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