Creating equitable access to nature everywhere children live, learn and play
Interested in increasing equitable access to nature in your community? The Children and Nature Network is offering information and support through Nature Everywhere, designed to advance nature everywhere children live, learn and play. The 2023 Request for Applications is now live — check it out and apply by August 25, 2023.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month : The idea of someone sexually abusing a child is terrifying. But as with any risk children face, we can prepare them to recognize an unsafe situation and know what to do. Shalon Nienow, MD, FAAP, describes key things you can teach your child to help keep them safe from a sexual predator. This HealthyChildren.org article features a new AAP video created for April’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
BestStart Washington is committed to ensuring that all children and youth in Washington State have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. We recognize that entrenched structural racism is an unacceptable barrier to child health and potential.
In our pediatric practices, we see first-hand the negative health outcomes that arise from racism including increased infant mortality, low birth weight, increased incidence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), decreased school readiness, higher school drop-out rates, and mental health problems stemming from chronic stress.
We agree with our partners in King County that racism is a public health crisis with many families of color lacking sufficient access to health care and other resources to support child health and resiliency. As pediatric leaders, we have a responsibility to do much more in our practices and in our communities to end structural racism and combat its effects on child health.
We have found overwhelming evidence that nature access is a critical resource that promotes stronger physical and mental health outcomes for children. We launched Project Nature with the knowledge that children today spend less and less time exploring and moving in outdoor nature. For children and families of color this nature gap is especially stark. Historically, white-controlled systems of power—like segregation and red-lining—deliberately denied access to green spaces, parks, and pools for persons and communities of color. Constraints of money and time are also barriers for some families, especially when paired with the reality that greenspaces and parks can be severely limited in underserved communities.
We pledge to listen to families of color. With Project Nature, we are committed to building communication with black, brown, Native American and traditionally under-represented minority communities. In several studies, we have surveyed parents to ask them how often they are able to connect their children with the outdoors and what barriers they face. We recognize that fear can come with venturing out in nature as a person of color. We offer nature play kits and information to families to encourage nature contact. We are creating partnerships with like-minded individuals and organizations who are determined to create a reality where a child’s race or ethnicity will never prevent them from experiencing the joy and good health that time outdoors can bring.
Our work with BestStart Washington and Project Nature is just one small part of our larger commitment. We look forward to working with our health care colleagues in counties and in diverse communities across the state to continue to brainstorm, create, and weave together a fabric of solutions that ensures optimal health and developmental outcomes for all children in Washington.
Kimberlee Hauff, MD FAAP
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” – Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
Playing and exploring outdoors can improve a child’s overall health and wellbeing. But not all children and families have access to nature. Racism, economic inequality, and lack of awareness are some of the barriers that impact nature contact for children. Continue reading
Community Pediatric Foundation of Washington has been renamed as BestStart Washington to better reflect our focus on advancing the health and wellbeing of children. We are committed to moving forward deliberately and strategically to engage others in our mission as we work to address critical health and development issues facing Washington children.
Kyle Yasuda, MD, FAAP, a co-founder of BestStart Washington, has assumed the role of interim Executive Director.