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Child-Friendly At Home: Clean and Safe Households

"Nowhere is it written that children have the right to a safe and clean environment. Nowhere is it written that children are protected from man-made chemicals that cause cancer; nowhere is it written that the parents of these children and other citizens of this country have the right-to-know what is in the food they eat, the water they drink and the air they breathe."
--Testimony of CHEC cofounder Nancy Chuda before the U.S. House of Representatives

You've heard that PVC plastics can be toxic to young children, but you don't know how to tell one kind of plastic from another. Perhaps you felt queasy for days after the installation of new carpeting at the office, but you thought it might be all in your head. You want to make sure the carpeting you choose for your home won't make your children sick. Where do you turn?

The Children's Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) is a charitable, nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public, specifically parents and caregivers, about environmental toxins that affect children's health. CHEC was founded by Jim and Nancy Chuda, whose daughter, Colette, died of a non-genetic form of Wilm's tumor (cancer) at age 5.

Together with an impressive advisory board of medical and scientific experts, CHEC has developed a series of programs and publications on environmental toxins and how to eliminate them from the environment. CHEC's highly accessible web site includes an on-line tutorial about toxins in the home. Log on to learn about the Children's Environmental Protection Act of 1999 (CEPA) and the School Environmental Protection Act (SEPA). Take a quiz to find out if your family is at risk, download a list of safe toys and toxic toys from Greenpeace (just in time for the holidays!), or dive into an on-line tutorial on common household toxins. For a $25 donation, new members receive a free copy of The Household Detective Primer, CHEC's guide to eliminating toxins in the home.

Kid-Friendly Cleaning Products? YES!

Can you imagine a non-toxic toilet-bowl cleaner, furniture polish you could eat, and an oven cleaner so safe you don't need gloves? Yes, you can dispose of all those poisons lurking under the sink and still keep a clean and fresh-smelling house! In her book, Clean House, Clean Planet (Pocket Books), Karen Logan provides easy, field-tested recipes made with everyday products, many which outperform their industrial counterparts. And the best part is-your kids can help you clean!

What You Can Do

Environmentally Childproof Your Home

Use the Household Detective and other guides to eliminate harmful toxins from your child's immediate environment.

Know Where to Get Help

CHEC's Take Action page provides links to Federal Agencies and hospitals that deal with toxic substances and environmental health.

Support Legislation

For more information about CEPA, the Children's Environmental Protection Act of 1999, read CHEC's excellent summary or look up S.1112 in the congressional record (www.access.gpo.gov).

Contact Your Representatives

"Contacting the Congress" (www.visi.com) is an on-line database of congressional contact information including e-mail and traditional ground mail addresses for all congress-members.