Parents who return to work after a baby is born usually rely on childcare outside the home. While cost, location and availability are big factors in making such a decision, natural parents might want to consider eco-friendly factors as well.
This was not something I had considered at all when, at four months old, Sofie went off to daycare. My daughter’s first childcare provider was an in-home day care, which was nice in that it was small (3-4 kids) and Sofie received lots of loving, individual attention. The provider was agreeable to changing cloth diapers, feeding Sofie with my warmed-up breast milk, and occasionally wearing her in a carrier. Her home was cozy with plenty of time spent outside. On the down side, the TV was often on, and no preference was given to green furnishings or materials.
At age two, we moved Sofie to an early childhood education center. It was a much larger but very calm space that contained natural furnishings (wood, cotton, items from nature) and followed a respectful and child-centered Reggio Emilia philosophy. However, they did not allow cloth diapers or babywearing.
Sofie thrived in both places.
Still, it would have been nice to have a natural living childcare reference sheet at the beginning of my search. What makes a childcare provider green? What factors should I look for? What questions do I ask?
Below, I’ve created a checklist as a good starting point. While you’re not likely to find a place that meets all your needs, these questions can help prioritize which factors are most important to you.
Questions About the Childcare Facility
- Has the site been tested for lead paint? (If built before 1978)
- Is the site regularly tested for radon? (Every 2-5 years is ideal.)
- Is there healthy indoor air? (Good ventilation, no moisture or mold)
- Do you use energy-efficient lighting?
- How is pest control managed, inside and out?
- Do you use low-VOC interior paints?
- Do use non-toxic cleaning supplies?
- Are there natural materials and furnishings? (Tile floors over wall-to-wall carpet, solid wood over plastic furniture, cotton or wool over vinyl)
- What materials are used in the beds? (Generally, cots are better than mats that use toxic fire retardants.)
- Do you recycle?
- Do you use eco-friendly art supplies?
- Are the plastic toys free of PVC and BPA?
- Are plastic bottles BPA-free?
- Are non-toxic methods used outdoors? (Lawn applications, weeds, pest control)
Questions About Child Interaction
- Do you follow a particular early childhood philosophy? (Reggio Emilia, RIE, Montessori, play-based, cognitive-based, etc.)
- What aspects of development do you focus on?
- What forms of discipline are used?
- How do you calm crying babies?
- How do you address conflict resolution between children?
- How much communication is there between providers and parents?
- Are you willing to wear my baby in a sling/carrier for part of the day?
General Questions
- Do you allow cloth diapers? (Some may allow it but will toss everything—diaper and poop—into a bag for you to separate later.)
- Do you allow glass bottles?
- How much time do children spend outdoors?
- What activities are the children involved with during the day?
- Do you serve nutritious snacks/lunch? If not, can I provide my own?
- Do you reheat food in plastic containers? (This releases carcinogens.)
- Do you use digital thermometers instead of ones containing mercury?
- Is there any media use? (Learn about young children and screen time.)
Learn more and search for an eco-healthy provider at the Children’s Environmental Health Network.
What questions would you add to this checklist?
