New Brief: Impacts of Wildfires on the Health of Young Children The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
As communities around Los Angeles navigate the impacts of a historic series of wildfires, it is clear that wildfire smoke increasingly affects the daily lives of millions of Americans. Wildfire smoke presents a major threat to the health and development of young children, and it is critical that we understand its impacts. We must also implement available solutions to protect young children while taking action to limit the burning of fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas, which is worsening the conditions that lead to longer, more frequent, and more intense wildfires. Solutions can be implemented in ways that help safeguard all the places where children spend time. In a new brief, the Early Childhood Scientific Council on Equity and the Environment examines how wildfire smoke impacts children’s development and health and shares strategies and solutions for protecting children.
