Planning for Resilient Early Care and Education: Addressing Climate Vulnerabilities

Brain development in children under the age of 5 is highly susceptible to environmental stressors like high temperatures and poor air quality. As climate change worsen, early care and education (ECE) facilities must be equipped to addrss this issue. This report outlines six actions that policymakers can take to protect children from the risk of developing lifelong health complications, including renovating and building all ECE facilities with high-quality, sustainable materials, investing in ECE providers who need assistance to adopt climate mitigation strategies, and designing public programs to help communities with the largest childcare gaps and greatest climate risks receive support.