IPM for Child Care in New York
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Good quality child care is extremely important for working families and NY State has over a half million children enrolled in child care programs. Two laws have been enacted in NY with the intent of safeguarding young children enrolled in child care centers, the Child Safe Playing Fields Act and the Neighbor Notification Law, yet the status of pests and pest management is unclear. In addition, pests and pest management are a small part of what child care personnel think about each day in a child care business; however, when pest activity occurs (such as ants in food, mouse droppings in toy bins, head lice on children, or a wasp sting), pests can become the top priority of the day. Good decision-making is possible through awareness. The objective of this project is to assess the awareness of child care business operators and managers of sound pest management practices and the pest issues they face. Through an online survey of center-based child care businesses and follow-up with site assessments, we aim to engage the child care industry to learn about the pest management challenges faced and to work toward awareness and solutions that protect children from pests and pesticides.