Guide for Parents and Caregivers | Vermont Department of Health

Guide for Parents and Caregivers | Vermont Department of Health
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Translations for you
Guide for Parents and Caregivers
Children's Environmental Health
Guide for Child Care Providers
Guide for Parents and Caregivers
Guide for Schools
Chemical Disclosure Program for Children's Products
Lead Poisoning Prevention Guidance for Health Care Providers
Lead Poisoning Prevention Guidance for Parents and Caregivers
Why Children's Environmental Health is Important
Understanding potential health hazards is the first step in making sure kids have a safe and healthy environment to learn, grow and play. The topics below are designed to help parents, expecting parents and caregivers become aware of potential environmental hazards that could harm their child’s health.
Asbestos
Asbestos is a fiber that has been used in building materials for insulation and as a fire retardant. If these materials are disturbed or damaged in any way — such as when renovating or demolishing a building — asbestos fibers can be released into the air and breathed in. Exposure to asbestos fibers increases the risk of developing health effects — such as lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
You should assume that asbestos-containing materials are in your home. They are not dangerous unless they are damaged or disturbed in a way that creates dust. Use caution when doing home renovation projects.
Learn how to
stay safe during home renovation projects
Chemicals, Indoor Air and Safer Cleaning
Chemicals and other air pollutants can enter the home from the environment, hobbies, household cleaning and personal care products, and even from bacteria, pet dander, dust mites or roaches.
Breathing in air pollutants can lead to allergies and asthma, infections and other health problems that involve the lungs, nose and throat. Babies and young children are especially sensitive, in part because their organs and immune systems are not fully developed.
Here is information about how to create a healthy indoor air environment in your home:
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Mold
Radon
Pest management
Other environmental chemicals and pollutants
Green Cleaning Guide
Ventilation and air purification
(EPA)
Learn more about
indoor air quality
Children’s Toys and Products
Children’s products — such as toys, furniture, cosmetics, teethers and feeding bottles — may contain many chemicals. Parents, caregivers and child care providers are encouraged to learn more about the chemicals that are in these products.
The State of Vermont requires manufacturers to report information about their use of chemicals in children’s products designated by the State as Chemicals of High Concern to Children.
Learn more about
chemicals in children's products
Drinking Water
Your drinking water may have contaminants that are harmful for children and babies. If you use a public water supply, consider testing your water for lead that may be found in your plumbing system.
Learn more about
lead and other concerns for public drinking water.
If you use a well or spring, be sure to test your water regularly for contaminants like bacteria, nitrates, arsenic and gross alpha radiation. Learn how these contaminants can affect
your baby
and
your family
Harmful contaminants may be found in both public and private drinking water supplies that can cause significant health risks to babies and children. Testing your drinking water is important to make sure it is free of these contaminants. If you get your drinking water from a well or spring, the Health Department recommends testing your water regularly.
Learn more about
drinking water contaminants and their health effects
Fish
Fish provide key nutrients that are important for health during pregnancy, nursing and early childhood. Everyone should eat 2-3 servings of fish per week. It’s important for those who are pregnant or planning to be, nursing and young children to eat fish that are low in mercury. Too much mercury can affect your child’s brain and how they learn, move and behave.
Learn more about mercury levels in
fish you buy or catch in Vermont
and use the
Fish Meal Mercury Calculator
to help you figure out how much fish to eat.
Find safe eating guidelines for fish
Hot Weather
On very hot days, sometimes your body temperature control systems can't keep up and your body temperature can get dangerously high. This makes you at greater risk for serious heat illnesses, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Children are generally at higher risk for heat illnesses because their bodies warm up faster than adults, they have less sweating capacity than adults, and they may have less awareness of and ability to manage heat risks. Young/small children and children with other health conditions are typically at the highest risk.
Learn
heat safety tips for kids
Lead Hazards
Lead is a highly toxic metal that can be found in paint and drinking water and may cause serious and permanent health problems. Children and pregnant people are at special risk for lead poisoning. There is no safe level of lead in the body, but lead poisoning can be prevented.
Learn more about
lead hazards and how to prevent lead poisoning
All children should be tested for lead at ages 1 and 2. Talk to your child’s health care provider about testing your child for lead through a blood test. Depending on the result, the health care provider may recommend additional testing.
Learn more about
testing your child for lead
All Vermont schools and child care providers are required to test their drinking and cooking water for lead.
Learn more and find your
school or child care's test results
During pregnancy
, lead can increase the risk of miscarriage and cause babies to be born too early, too small, or with learning or behavior problems.
Children, pregnant people and adults can be exposed to lead during renovation projects.
Learn how to
stay safe during home renovation projects
Funding is available to help you pay for fixing a lead problem in your home or water system.
Learn more about
financial assistance programs
Mold and Moisture
Mold is a general term used to describe certain types of fungi. Mold can grow on food, building materials, upholstery, clothes and other surfaces. There are many different types of molds that vary in color and appearance. No species of mold is named “
black mold
.”
Mold needs moisture to grow. Finding areas with water or moisture intrusion — such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding or excessive humidity — is the best way to identify where mold may be.
Learn how to
prevent and fix mold problems
Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell or taste. It is present in both soil and water, and levels can build up inside homes and buildings.
Everyone is exposed to some radon in indoor and outdoor air. Radon decays into radioactive particles that can damage your lungs. Breathing in radon increases your risk of getting lung cancer over the course of your lifetime. Because of their lung shape, size and breathing rate, children may take in more radiation from sources like radon.
Unless you test for it, there is no way of knowing if radon is in your home or child care facility.
The action level for radon is 4.0 pCi/L. This means that if your test result is at or above 4.0 (pCi/L), the Health Department and Environmental Protection Agency recommend reducing radon levels in your home or child care facility.
Learn more about
radon in your home and order a radon test kit
Recreational Water Safety
Being aware of water conditions and adopting safe practices with your children while in and around recreational waters is very important. Whether boating, swimming or just splashing around, unintentional drowning can occur.
Learn more about
water safety
Vermont’s lakes, ponds, streams and rivers may contain bacteria that can make you sick. Children tend to spend more time in the water than adults. They are also more likely to accidentally swallow water when swimming and, for these reasons, they are more likely than adults to get sick. However, babies, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of becoming seriously ill.
Learn more about
swim water testing
Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are naturally found in fresh water in the U.S. and in Lake Champlain and other Vermont waters. Some types of cyanobacteria can release natural toxins or poisons (called cyanotoxins) into the water, especially when they die and break down.
Swimming or wading in water with cyanobacteria may cause minor skin rashes, sore throats, diarrhea, stomach problems, or more serious health problems. Children are more at risk of getting sick since they are more likely to swallow water when swimming and playing than adults.
Learn more about
cyanobacteria
School Health
Children spend a significant amount of time at school, which is why it is important to maintain a healthy school environment, both inside and outside the school. Vermont offers programs and resources to help keep our schools safe and healthy.
Learn more about
school environmental health
Learn more about
school health
Wildfire Smoke and Air Quality
Hotter and drier conditions are increasing the length of wildfire season across the U.S. Though wildfires are rare in Vermont, residual smoke from fires in Canada can significantly worsen air quality in the Northeast. Children are highly affected by wildfire smoke and other air pollution, especially if they have other health conditions.
Learn how to
stay informed and safe when air quality is unhealthy
More Information
Learn more about your health during pregnancy
Learn more about the health of infants and young children
Topics:
Child Care
Child Development
Child Health and Safety
Lead Poisoning
September 19, 2025