By Laura Gallant, 4/20/2023, https://positiveexperience.org/category/blog/
Earth Day is this Saturday, and the HOPE National Resource Center wants to share ideas of actions that help protect the well-being of our planet, and the future of all children. When we promote practices that heal the Earth, we are celebrating all the amazing things this planet provides for us to create positive childhood experiences (PCEs), and happy, healthy children. This is at the core of the safe, stable, and equitable environments building block. Time in nature creates access to the building block of emotional growth. Even practicing sustainability, in itself, can be a way of accessing PCEs. For example, once a week, families can practice the engagement building block by cooking together and thinking about the impact of food choices on the environment, or putting the children in charge of collecting recycling in the home.
Further, learning about a child and family’s access to the natural environment gives service providers insight into how the family practices PCEs already and about some of their barriers to PCEs. Environmental justice recognizes that many communities, often as a result of systemic racism, face greater barriers to healthy natural environments, with higher pollution and consumption of natural resources that play a part in health disparities. Environmental justice aligns with HOPE’s commitment to anti-racism by advocating for all communities to have access to clean air, water, and a safe environment. In turn, children and families can have better access to PCEs, leading to a brighter, healthier future.
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