The Environmental Protection Agency announced four collaborative agreements for Children's Healthy Learning Environments in Low-Income and/or Minority Communities have been awarded government funding.
According to a May 16 EPA news release, these grants are being given out to mark the 25th anniversary of the historic Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks executive order, which was issued in 1997.
“We know children are especially vulnerable to environmental health risks as they grow," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in the release. "We also know not all children face the same risks – black and Latino children still have higher rates of asthma compared to white children and have higher rates of lead exposure.”
The American Rescue Plan financed this $2 million grant program competition, and the four grantees will each receive $200,000 from the EPA. These grantees include Health Resources in Action, Women for a Healthy Environment, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the American Lung Association, according to the news release.
"It’s time to focus on addressing those disparities so that all children, no matter their race or income, have a safe, level playing field,” Regan added, according to the release.
Additionally, the EPA is in the process of reviewing six more $200,000 collaborative agreements in order to meet its financing goal of one cooperation agreement for each EPA region. The EPA has also utilized funds from the American Rescue Plan to aid Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units, a nationwide system of health care professionals who address children's health issues caused by environmental hazards, the release reported.
