Child health and well-being should be the top priority in all day care facilities. However, current law overlooks an important safety measure for child care centers. In Pennsylvania, day cares are not required to perform environmental health assessments before opening. This means day care centers may be operating in buildings that were once home to dry cleaners, nail salons, funeral homes, and other businesses that use hazardous chemicals in their day-to-day operations. Exposure to any of these leftover chemicals could do serious harm to the attending children.
 
To address this dangerous oversight, my legislation would require that new day care centers, should they wish to operate in a building that previously housed a high-hazard business, perform environmental health assessments to ensure that the building is free of harmful chemicals and safe for children.

There is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to our children. As public servants, we must act to protect the safety and well-being of future Pennsylvanians. Please join me in supporting this important and necessary legislation to keep our children safe.