ECELS - Healthy Child Care PA

03/16/2026

Use laundry detergent packets? They could be a bigger risk to your kids than you realize. The highly-concentrated detergent in laundry packets is more poisonous than regular liquid or powder detergent. Save the national poison help line number (1-800-222-1222) in your cell phone and post it near your home phone. Call right away if you think a child has come in contact with laundry detergent packets.

03/11/2026

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) – formerly known as shaken baby syndrome – can cause serious head injuries in young children. The Period of PURPLE Crying is an effective, evidence-based prevention program that aims to support caregivers in understanding the normal period of increased infant crying (approx. 2 weeks to 3 months old) to reduce incidence of AHT. Check out this graphic and more information at https://dontshake.org/purple-crying

03/04/2026

: By 5 years of age, 1 in 40 US children will visit an emergency room due to ? Norovirus is highly contagious and is the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illness, affecting roughly 21 million people in the US each year. Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water is the best way to protect yourself and others from norovirus; hand sanitizer is NOT an effective way to kill the virus. Learn more at www.nfid.org/norovirus

02/23/2026

Measles is a very serious and contagious vaccine-preventable disease that has been in the news recently. Check out this carousel from the AAP filled with facts about this disease and how to best protect your child!

02/18/2026

February is National Children's Dental Health Month! Did you know, that until children can tie their shoes (about age 8), they need help brushing their teeth? Your children’s teeth deserve the best protection against tooth decay and using toothpaste with fluoride is the best way to prevent it! Brush up on oral health at https://headstart.gov/oral-health

02/11/2026

February is American Heart Month ❤️The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and The Children’s Heart Foundation are teaming up to advance lifesaving research on congenital heart defects—the most common birth defect. They’ve also created an animated video to help families explain congenital heart disease to siblings and show kids how they can support a loved one with a special heart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbLBEofXId0

Congenital heart disease is complicated and can be hard to explain to the sibling of a child born with a special heart. The American Heart Association and th...

02/03/2026

This week is National Burn Awareness Week. Here is an important and informative PSA from the International Association of Firefighters with tips to prevent burns with children around. https://youtu.be/lM2NvVaulI0

Learn more at https://www.iaff.org/burn-awareness/

Burn injuries continue to be a leading cause of injury in the United States and Canada, especially in children. Use these tips to avoid a burn.

02/02/2026

🦷 Happy National Children’s Dental Health Month! 💙
Throughout February, we'll be spotlighting our projects and sharing resources to promote healthy smiles for kids—because children’s oral health matters every month of the year. We invite you to explore and share these resources to help spread the word about the importance of children’s oral health. Together, we can make a lasting impact on lifelong healthy habits!

01/28/2026

Pertussis is one of the most contagious diseases and is particularly dangerous for young children because of their small breathing tubes. There are several things that you can do to help protect your baby from pertussis, the best option being vaccination! Read more about Pertussis here:https://www.chop.edu/sites/default/files/vaccine-education-center-pertussis-vaccine.pdf

01/22/2026

Free Dental Screenings for Children 😁✨🦷
When: Monday, February 9, 2:00-4:00pm
Where: Bethel-Tulpehocken Public Library
8601 Lancaster Avenue
Bethel, PA 19507
Register today: https://events.getlocalhop.com/free-dental-screenings/event/6YZZbcrAVY/

01/19/2026

January is National Radon Action Month! Radon is an invisible, odorless gas that seeps from the ground into homes, especially in lower levels like basements. Families should strongly consider testing their homes to ensure everyone is safe! Below you can find information on your specific county and the radon levels that may be affecting your home.

01/13/2026

Happening today: Oral Health Key Messages for Head Start Staff to Share with Families 🪥🦷
Tuesday, January 13 (2 to 3pm EST)
Register here:

This webinar focuses on key oral health messages for Head Start staff to share with families, including limiting foods and drinks with added sugar, drinking water throughout the day, having a dental visit by age 1, and developing and following practices to maintain good oral health during pregnancy....