Clean Water and Safe Kids in New Jersey

Developing a health protection program for children, teachers, and parents

Starting in September 2002, Clean Water Fund expanded its children's, teachers' and parents' health protection programs to address three public health needs in school and home settings:

  • Safer water.
  • Pest control with the least toxic alternatives.
  • The use of safer cleaning products.

Clean Water Fund, Belmar, N.J. is a national nonprofit research and educational organization with locally staffed environmental and health protection programs serving communities in more than 20 states.

Key Results

The project reported the following results:

  • Clean Water Fund's 78 presentations reached approximately 2,000 parents and 1,000 school staff (including 120 school nurses), administrators, facility managers, and representatives from state agencies such as the Department of Environmental Protection.
  • Project staff produced and distributed more than 2,000 copies of the booklet, Protecting Our Homes, Our Schools, Our Children: Basic Steps to Indoor Pest Control Without Pesticides, at workshops and other events.
  • A Clean Water Fund presentation at a March 2003 Newark School Board meeting prompted the district's facility manager to upgrade its drinking-water monitoring and filter replacement protocols.
  • During the project, the Clean Water Fund established working relationships with a number of organizations with related interests.

Funding

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) provided a grant of $35,000 from September 2002 through March 2004 for the project.

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