What is Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD)?

Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD) is a key initiative of the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE). Healthy Environments for Learning Day takes place each April in Canada and aims to raise awareness of and encourage action to prevent environmental health risks to children in early learning environments and schools. Healthy Environments for Learning Day, formerly Healthy Schools Day (HSD), has changed its name to be inclusive of early learning and child care environments. This year’s focus is on healthy and sustainable child care environments and HELD is taking place April 28th, 2022.

Healthy Environments for Learning Day 2022

The focus for this year’s Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD) is on healthy and sustainable child care environments. This year HELD is April 28th, 2022. Our campaign for HELD 2022 includes:

• A vision statement for healthy and sustainable child care in Canada. With our partners, affiliates and collaborators, we have created a vision statement, outlining ten core elements of healthy and sustainable child care.
• A national survey on environmental health and sustainability practices in the child care sector in Canada. This survey, for child care practitioners, is in collaboration with CPCHE, CCCF and researchers from the University of Ottawa.
• The launch of the Healthy and Sustainable Child Care Checklist and Resource Hub in collaboration with the Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF). This hub is an engaging online platform where users can access current and relevant information related to environmental health and sustainability in child care settings.
• A media release launched our campaign, sharing preliminary data from the survey and the vision statement.

Get involved in HELD 2022

We welcome your involvement and promotion in this year’s campaign. There are multiple ways to get involved:

1. Check out the Healthy and Sustainable Child Care Checklist and Resource Hub

Learn more about creating healthy and sustainable child care environments both indoors and out. The resource hub and checklist is a tool for child care practitioners, public health, parents/ guardians and anyone interested in children’s environmental health. Explore various topic areas and trending current themes in environmental health. Complete the checklist to see how your program is doing! Child care practitioners receive an hour of Professional Development from CCCF upon completion of the checklist.

2. Learn more about the results from the national survey on environmental health and sustainability practices in the child care sector in Canada and read the Vision Statement for Healthy and Sustainable Child Care in Canada.

3. Follow Healthy Environments for Learning Day on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get the latest news and resources. Share HELD posts with your friends and networks.