Children's Environmental Health Center

Protecting the health and future of our children is important to all Californians. The Children’s Environmental Health Center (CEHC) was established in the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) by the Children’s Environmental Health Protection Act (Escutia, Chapter 731, Statutes of 1999) to ensure that CalEPA’s programs specifically protect children’s health in California. In 2012, OEHHA was designated as the lead agency to coordinate and manage the CEHC. The Children’s Environmental Health Center serves as a resource for CalEPA and the State of California, performs outreach and education for the medical and public health community as well as for the general public, and coordinates with the CalEPA boards and departments to promote policies and efforts that protect children’s health. 

Children can be more affected by environmental chemicals than adults. They eat, drink, and breathe more per pound of body weight than adults. Thus, children’s exposures to contaminants in our air, water, and food are higher than an adult in the same setting. Because children are still growing and developing, they can be more sensitive to the adverse health effects of chemicals than an adult. In some cases, the effects are irreversible. It is increasingly recognized that exposures early in life affect adult health. Thus, the work of the CalEPA Boards, Departments and Offices (BDOs) to reduce children’s exposures to environmental chemicals benefits people throughout their lifetime. 

Key CEHC Activities

Children's Environmental Health Center Reports to the Legislature

Risk Assessment of Synthetic Food Dye Exposures in Children

Health Effects of Climate Change During Pregnancy and Childhood

Collaboration on Continuing Education for Health Professionals

Children’s Environmental Health Symposia

Children’s Environmental Health Resources

• Fact sheet on Children and Heat
  • Երեխաները եւ տաքը — Պաշտպանեցէ՛ք նորածինները, երեխաները եւ պատանիները
  • 儿童与高温——保护婴幼儿、儿童和青少年
  • 兒童與高溫－保護嬰兒、兒童及青少年
  • 어린이와 더위 — 유아, 어린이, 청소년 보호하기
  • Los niños y el calor - Proteja a bebés, niños y adolescentes
  • Mga bata at init — Protektahan ang mga sanggol, bata at teenager
  • Trẻ em và nhiệt — Bảo vệ trẻ sơ sinh, trẻ em và thanh thiếu niên
• Fact sheet on Pregnancy and Heat
  • Embarazo y calor: Protegiéndose a sí misma y a su bebé
  • 孕婦與高溫──保護您自己和您的寶寶
  • 孕期与高温——保护您自己和您的宝宝
  • 임신과 열 — 자기 자신과 아기를 보호하세요 
  • Mang thai và nhiệt nóng- Bảo vệ bản thân và em bé của quý vị 
  • Pagbubuntis at matinding init - Protektahan ang iyong sarili at ang iyong sanggol
• Proposition 65 warnings and factsheets
• Fish Advisories
• CalEnviroscreen’s indicator for Children’s risk from lead in housing
• Factsheets for purchasing school art supplies
• Guidance for Schools during Wildfire Health Events

Other OEHHA efforts relating to children's health include:

• Art Hazards
• Child-Specific Reference Doses (ChRDs)
• Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee
• Epidemiology Studies
• Human Health Impacts of Climate Change
• Lead in Candy
• Synthetic Turf Studies