Children's Health Policy and Plan
It is the policy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect children from environmental exposures by consistently and explicitly considering early life exposures and lifelong health in all human health decisions.
On this page:
- EPA's Policy on Children's Health
- Office of Children's Health Protection Strategic Plan
- Historical Policies
EPA's Policy on Children's Health
Children’s environmental health refers to the effect of environmental exposure during early life: from conception, infancy, early childhood, and adolescence through until 21 years of age. EPA’s policy is informed by the scientific understanding that children may be at greater risk to environmental contaminants than adults due to differences in behavior and biology and that the effects of early life exposures may also arise in adulthood or in later generations.
Office of Children's Health Protection Strategic Plan
EPA’s Office of Children’s Health’s goal is to apply and promote the use of science, policy, partnerships, communications, and research to further protect all children from the health effects resulting from harmful environmental exposures.
Historical Policies
- 1995 Policy on Evaluating Health Risks to Children (pdf)
- 1995 Children's Health Policy Cover Memo (pdf)
- 2010 Reaffirmation Memo on EPA’s 1995 Policy on Evaluating Health Risks to Children (pdf)
- 2013 Reaffirmation Memo on EPA's 1995 Policy on Evaluating Health Risks to Children (pdf)
- 2018 Reaffirmation Memo on EPA's 1995 Policy on Evaluating Health Risks to Children (pdf)