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Bright Oak Preschool Academy has made history as the first child care facility in the Lowcountry to earn the prestigious Eco-Healthy Child Care® (EHCC) endorsement. This recognition, awarded in February 2024, highlights Bright Oak's commitment to providing a safer, toxicant-free learning environment for young children.
The journey toward this achievement was inspired by Mindy Allen, a longstanding health and human services advocate whose child suffered from gestational lead poisoning from renovation work in their 1925-year-old home in 2002. Mindy's dedication to raising awareness about environmental hazards in child care settings encouraged Spencer, co-owner of Bright Oak Preschool Academy, to pursue the EHCC endorsement. With a background in environmental restoration and construction as vice president of EAS Environmental LLC, Spencer brought critical expertise to the effort, ensuring Bright Oak met the highest health and safety standards.
The EHCC program, led by Washington, D.C.-based non-profit Children's Environmental Health Network (CEHN), is the only national environmental health endorsement for early care and education providers. By offering practical, low- or no-cost solutions, the program helps child care facilities (both family child care and center-based) identify and reduce or eliminate harmful toxicants and create healthier spaces for children and their caretakers to learn and grow.
"When more child care facilities embrace the Eco-Healthy Child Care® endorsement, we're not just protecting children—we're advancing environmental justice," said Mindy Allen.
"Environmental health is a core tenet of health and safety. It is vital that early care and learning environments consider how best to protect children from unnecessary exposures to chemicals and heavy metals, such as lead and mercury," shared Hester Paul, National Director of CEHN's Eco-Healthy Child Care® program.
"Our goal is to create environments where children can thrive without exposure to harmful toxicants," said Spencer. "The Eco-Healthy Child Care® Program provides the tools and guidance to make that possible, and we're proud to be part of this movement."
Bright Oak joins other South Carolina child care facilities, including The Nest School, Greenville Memorial Child Care Center, and Clemson's Early Childhood Education Center, in prioritizing children's environmental health through eco-friendly practices.
Take Action for a Healthier Future.
Every child deserves a safe, healthy environment to learn and grow. Join the movement to create toxin-free child care facilities and protect the well-being of future generations. Parents, educators, and child care providers—be the change!
📢 Learn more about the Eco-Healthy Child Care® program:
Eco-Healthy Child Care (EHCC)—Children's Environmental Health Network
📩 Get involved or bring EHCC to your community:
● Spencer Turner—sturner@easenvironmental.com
● Mindy AAllen—mindy@nestingguide.org
Together, we can create safer spaces for children—one child care center at a time.