Action for Children 2025: Building Safer, Greener and Peaceful Environments
The start of each new year brings renewed hope: hope that conditions for every child born that year and the years before and after, will promote their healthy development. Yet the headlines in 2024 revealed increasing risks for children and their families, particularly young children. Most recently, in California, the contribution of abnormal weather activity to the rapid spread of wildfires has led to ongoing devastation impacting children’s air quality, shelter, and access to resources. Conflict, displacement, extreme heat, air pollution, drought and a host of other environmental risks disrupt children’s physical, psychosocial and mental development, preventing them from meeting their full potential. This has to change.
The start of each new year brings renewed hope: hope that conditions for every child born that year and the years before and after, will promote their healthy development. Yet the headlines in 2024 revealed increasing risks for children and their families, particularly young children. Most recently, in California, the contribution of abnormal weather activity to the rapid spread of wildfires has led to ongoing devastation impacting children’s air quality, shelter, and access to resources. Conflict, displacement, extreme heat, air pollution, drought and a host of other environmental risks disrupt children’s physical, psychosocial and mental development, preventing them from meeting their full potential. This has to change.
As UNICEF pointed out, in 2024 children faced “never ending conflicts” with the world experiencing the highest number of conflicts since World War II. UNICEF reported that more children than ever were estimated to be either living in conflict zones or forcibly displaced due to conflict and violence. More than one in six children globally live in areas affected by conflict and the percentage of children living in conflict zones has doubled since the 1990s.
At the same time, the impact of the changing climate continued to make headlines in 2024. Heat waves shuttered schools and caused drought, negatively affecting health, nutrition and child well-being. Torrential rains caused flooding, loss of lives, livelihoods and housing. The Choking Futures: How Air Pollution Robs the Breath of Our Youngest report explores the harmful effects of air pollution and its impact on the lungs making everyone more vulnerable, particularly babies. In June 2024, WHO warned of serious health impacts of climate change for pregnant women, children and the elderly.
While conflict, destruction, and displacement feel overwhelming and are hard to face– we cannot look away. This is not the world that children deserve: yesterday, today, or tomorrow. We must bear witness to these realities while we stand up to improve the environments for all children and families. We all have the ability to take action. You can:
Document, share and disseminate stories from your own communities. Partner with local organizations (e.g. religious groups, civic groups, and higher education) and amplify voices especially those most vulnerable and limited in their ability to shield themselves from harmful exposure such as children and families from poor and marginalized backgrounds.
Call for child-sensitive climate policies to be included in climate response plans. Continue to learn and advocate for energy-efficient policies and innovations, reduction of carbon emissions, lead pollution and other environmental risks that harm children and negatively influence development outcomes.
Take steps to green early education. Promote empathy and respect for others, nurturing a new generation that cares for the earth and each other. Meaningfully engage parents and communities to foster a collective effort to protect the environment.
Work toward emergency preparation and response that addresses the needs of young children and families. Advocate for the integration of nurturing care as the right of all children and as an essential ingredient to assure public health, child protection measures, as well as child and family support services.
Find the courage to talk about peace, raise awareness of ongoing conflicts and violence (e.g. Sudan, Gaza, Haiti, Ukraine, and other countries and communities around the world). Affirm that armed conflict is not an option and call on leaders to stop the violence that is seriously affecting the well-being of children and in many cases, worsening environmental issues.
Every step counts. We cannot wait for someone else to stand up and support children and families. We are at the start of a new year and the time is now. Let's resolve to work together for a better world and a future of hope.
This blog post was originally posted on EquaNurture’s website.
Toward a Greener and Cleaner Future: Adopting a Two-Generation Strategy for Early Childhood Development and the Environment
Neighborhoods matter for children’s development. They are places where young children play, learn, and families live their daily lives. The effects of neighborhood conditions have an impact on both the developing child and the well-being of families. For some communities, exposure to toxic chemicals in their soil, air, water, or household products have remained unattended for years. According to the 2020 report The Toxic Truth by UNICEF and Pure Earth, lead poisoning is affecting young children on a “massive and previously unknown scale.” At the same time, UNICEF, Save the Children as well as other regional (e.g. ARNEC, AfECN) and local (e.g. Fondo Acción) organizations have been documenting the risks of climate change on young children. The impacts of climate change increasingly put young children and communities at risk.
Neighborhoods matter for children’s development. They are places where young children play, learn, and families live their daily lives. The effects of neighborhood conditions have an impact on both the developing child and the well-being of families. For some communities, exposure to toxic chemicals in their soil, air, water, or household products have remained unattended for years. According to the 2020 report The Toxic Truth by UNICEF and Pure Earth, lead poisoning is affecting young children on a “massive and previously unknown scale.” At the same time, UNICEF, Save the Children as well as other regional (e.g. ARNEC, AfECN) and local (e.g. Fondo Acción) organizations have been documenting the risks of climate change on young children. The impacts of climate change increasingly put young children and communities at risk. This includes those experiencing extreme heat, flooding, fires, and other environmental emergencies.
Policymakers and leaders at all levels must take action and prioritize addressing environmental issues impacting this generation and the ones to follow. Sustainable development is dependent on such action. The early childhood community is bearing witness to these threats to healthy development. They are seeing the immediate effect on pregnant women and young children as well as the growing threat of disruption and displacement of families. Early childhood programs and providers are already in the vanguard of building resiliency in young children by providing nurturing care and a strong social and emotional foundation. Every aspect of our work with children, families, and communities should incorporate and respond to building a greener, cleaner future by adopting a two-generation approach. We must acknowledge the linkages between environmental issues and early childhood development. For example, consider the following actions:
Raise awareness. If you are already seeing the impact of environmental issues on children, share what you are seeing with those responsible for community planning and policy. Do not underestimate the effectiveness of storytelling and real-life examples. Ask parents how the environment in their neighborhoods is impacting their families. Empower parents to raise these issues with community leaders. There are also an increasing number of reports and tools available for you to help others understand the impact on all components of nurturing care including health, nutrition, early learning, safety and security and responsive caregiving.
Integrate the goal of a cleaner and greener environment into all aspects of the early childhood ecosystem. Greening early childhood is not an isolated subject but rather an approach to becoming more intentional in assuring that we protect children from environmental risks (e.g. promoting lead screening, speaking up about air pollution). It also promotes nurturing care and brings children and families closer to the natural environment. Every program should consider what this means for their curriculum, teacher training, improving nutrition, use of natural play spaces, family support and engagement strategy, and the provision of eco-friendly facilities and transportation systems.
Develop partnerships to support parents in securing green jobs, healthy working conditions, and improved livelihoods. Two-generation programs recognize that the conditions of families impact young children. There is increasing recognition that helping families access better jobs, particularly newer jobs with improved opportunities, supports family well-being and parental responsiveness. Partnering with job training or placement organizations as well as those working to assure improved working conditions is one way for early childhood programs to work toward this goal.
Prepare for emergencies. Early childhood programs are often the first-place people turn to for support in times of emergencies. We need to help families prepare and cope with emergencies including being equipped to support children and parents along the way. Adequate planning and establishing procedures in case of emergencies is essential as well as preparing and supporting staff.
Join with others. Collective action is critical across stakeholders (e.g. public health providers, youth advocates, parent and civic organizations, environmentalists and other early childhood and family support groups) to promote child- and family-sensitive, multi-sectoral climate plans and environmental policies. Becoming a part of this movement is not someone else’s business– it should be integrated into everything that we do. Collective action at every level, starting with community action, can positively improve conditions for generations to come.
Children have a right to a clean environment. Working together and taking action provides a sense of agency– it brings us all hope. Every step forward counts.
This blog post was originally posted on EquaNurture’s website.