What is it?
Idaho's Choose Safe Places Program (CSP) helps ensure that early care and education programs are located in safe places, so that children aren't exposed to dangerous chemicals during their care. The Choose Safe Places Program provides child care providers with a voluntary property checklist, provided below, which helps to identify and assess potential environmental risks when considering a site for a business.
Child care providers should proactively consider possible sources of environmental exposure prior to committing to a location for a child care business. Early care and education facilities may be located in places where children and staff are exposed to harmful chemicals even if facilities meet current licensing regulations. New child care providers may be unaware if a proposed site is in a contaminated industrial building that was never cleaned up, or next door to a dry cleaner using harmful chemicals. This can put staff and children, who are more sensitive because they’re still growing, at risk of health problems.
How do I get involved?
To get more information on the Choose Safe Places Program, contact the Environmental Health Department at 800-445-8647 or send an email to csp@dhw.idaho.gov or contact IdahoSTARS at 2-1-1, or idahostars.org
Checking for Hazards – Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education (video)
English resources to guide you through the CSP program
Recursos en inglés para guiarlo a través del programa CSP
Region 7 (Idaho Falls, Ammon, Rexburg, Rigby, Salmon, Driggs and surrounding rural areas)