Investing in high-quality outdoor learning environments to complement indoor classrooms is a low-cost and high-impact strategy for improving child care quality, educator well-being, and children’s learning and health. Check out these state and federal policy recommendations to inspire systemic change and enhance health equity for every child.
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The National Wildlife Federation’s Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) initiative and New America’s Early & Elementary Education Policy program developed state and federal policy recommendations to build outdoor learning opportunities that help young children thrive.
- Improving Outdoor Learning in Child Care: A Health Equity Strategy urges federal leaders to take advantage of this critical moment and leverage new appropriations and relief funds to boost outdoor learning with investments, standards, best practices, and a commitment to equity and accessibility.
- A New Day for Outdoor Play in Child Care: State Policy Recommendations encourages state leaders to help re-imagine child care by maximizing federal opportunities and funding, seed improvements, raise the minimum standard, create a pathway to quality, equip evaluators with knowledge, and more.
ECHO encourages advocates and leaders in early childhood, children’s health, conservation, and equity and justice to share these policy recommendations with your state and federal leaders! Together, we can promote healthy child development, support the early childhood workforce, foster the next generation’s conservation commitment, and enhance health equity in communities across the country.
Please get in touch with us at echo@nwf.org to discuss advocacy initiatives, policy improvements, collaborations or partnerships, interest in design assistance and anything in between. We want to hear from you and work together to bring nature to all young children.
