Community Action Plan Templates for Children’s Environmental Health
August 05, 2024
ASTHO, through support from EPA, developed a set of four Community Action Plan Templates for use by state and territorial health agencies. These templates are intended to be adapted and customized by jurisdictions according to their specific needs and goals for children’s environmental health. Jurisdictions can prioritize the most pressing actions based on the areas of highest importance, needs, strategic plans, and timelines. The templates focus on air quality, climate, environmental justice, and lead poisoning. They provide a roadmap for creating community change by specifying what will be done, who will do it, and how it will be done. Health agencies can utilize the templates when helping communities develop new (or refine existing) action plans. Learn more about the templates by exploring the primer, or dive right in with one of the four templates below.
Primer for Use by State and Territorial Health Agencies
This primer provides background on the topics of environmental health, children’s environmental health more specifically, the role of health agencies in addressing environmental health, and lays out the structure of the templates. It also includes a blank template that can be used to develop additional templates as needed by the end users.
Air Quality and Asthma Mitigation
Air quality impacts health status in many ways. Children are especially susceptible to bad air quality due to their developing lungs and their high level of physical activity. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving outdoor and indoor air quality through some of the activities listed in this template, jurisdictions can help to contribute to cleaner air, which can improve birth outcomes and children's cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental health.
Climate and Health
Climate change can have significant negative health effects on both individuals and populations, particularly on people with incomes below the federal poverty level and communities with environmental justice concerns. Children in these communities are disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Children and adolescents are still growing and developing, have less control over the environments around them, spend more time outdoors than adults, and rely on adults for their safety and well-being. This template outlines suggested activities for improving air quality, reducing emissions, increasing green infrastructure, preserving green space, addressing extreme heat challenges, and increasing community resilience.
Environmental Justice
Environmental justice is a critical issue that directly impacts the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Exposure to environmental hazards—such as air and water pollution, toxic chemicals, and hazardous waste—can lead to a range of adverse health outcomes. Children are more vulnerable to the effects of environmental hazards; exposure during critical periods of development can lead to lifelong health impacts, such as cognitive and behavioral problems, developmental delays, and respiratory issues. It is essential to prioritize the protection of children's health in efforts to address environmental injustice by promoting clean and safe environments, providing access to healthy food and physical activity, and empowering communities to participate in decision-making processes that affect their health and well-being.
Lead Poisoning Prevention
Children are most often exposed to lead through inhaling or ingesting dust, soil, food, or water that is contaminated with lead. However, children can also be exposed through certain consumer products, cultural items, and some imported foods. Homes that were built before 1978 are more likely to have lead-based paint, which is a known risk factor for childhood lead exposure. Since children exposed to lead have a greater risk of reduced cognitive ability or neurodevelopmental impairment, state and federal agencies are taking steps to protect children from lead poisoning through enhanced screening procedures and improved standards for drinking water testing. This template outlines some of the activities that jurisdictions can take to reduce lead exposure and enhance lead poisoning prevention efforts.
These resources were developed through funding from EPA Assistance Agreement Number 8401820. ASTHO would like to thank EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection for all of their support in reviewing these and contributing language and children’s environmental health expertise.