BUILD UP SMC HOLDS WORKSHOP WITH ELLIOT HASPEL ON EARLY YEARS CLIMATE ACTION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2024
BUILD UP SMC HOLDS WORKSHOP WITH ELLIOT HASPEL ON EARLY YEARS CLIMATE ACTION
San Mateo County— Build Up San Mateo County in collaboration with the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) and the Child Care Partnership Council (CCPC) held a workshop attended by over 20 representatives from local early childhood education organizations and county offices. Attendees heard a presentation from Elliot Haspel, an expert on child care policy, on the Early Years Climate Action Plan (EYCAP). Angie Garling, Senior Vice President of Early Care & Education at the Low Income Investment Fund (LIFF) joined Haspel to answer questions about the EYCAP. San Mateo County is the first county in the nation to begin developing a comprehensive early childhood action plan inspired by the EYCAP.
Participants discussed top priorities for local action within San Mateo County, formulating recommendations for local government, early years providers, business, and philanthropy drawn from the EYCAP. Attendees voted on the top recommendations for local action and began planning for how to implement the recommendations into policies. Dayna Chung of Community Equity Collaborative says, “San Mateo County has the opportunity to engage policy makers, local child care providers, businesses, and philanthropy to build a coalition that prioritizes children in climate action planning and implementation.”
“Climate change is not simply another issue to consider alongside early childhood development; it is the surrounding context for all aspects of childhood and every child- and family-serving system.” according to the EYCAP. Children are especially vulnerable to poor air quality and air pollution because their lungs are still developing, and their exposure to nature has decreased while our understanding of the importance of outdoor play has grown. According to the EYCAP, “Climate change is a multiplier of these effects for children already experiencing potentially harmful exposures like higher amounts of air pollution and a lack of green space,” and families of color disproportionately live in neighborhoods with limited access to green space and public parks. Christine Padilla of Build Up says, “We invited Elliot Haspel to lead a working session to underscore the need to expand access to green spaces in vulnerable communities and make high-quality, climate-resilient outdoor play areas essential elements of child care facilities.”
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For more information visit EYCAP.