Ca: When are pesticides sprayed near your child's day care? parents have a right to know

[Guest guest]

Every state ought have a similar law: parents' right to know!

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For more information about pesticide use at schools and day-care centers:

http://www.schoolipm.info

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MOST VULNERABLE LITTLE FACES

When are pesticides sprayed near your child's day care?

New law says parents have a right to know

By Breitler

Record Staff Writer

January 02, 2007 6:00 AM

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070102/A_NEWS/701020311

STOCKTON - Parents have the right to know when pesticides are sprayed at

many private day-care centers under a state law that took effect Monday.

But do they know to ask?

" I don't think I've ever had a parent inquire, and I've been in the

business for 30 years, " said Debbie Eison, executive director of Creative

Child Care Inc. in Stockton, which teaches more than 2,000 students in the

county.

To learn more

For more information about pesticide use at schools and day-care centers,

visit www.schoolipm.info.

Eison said the agency operates several centers and uses pesticides

sparingly. She recalled at one site there was construction nearby and

pesticides were used for a time to combat a rodent problem.

Pesticides are potentially dangerous to anyone who lives, works or plays

where they are applied. But children might be most vulnerable as their

bodies grow.

The conservation group Environment California, which sponsored the

legislation that led to the new disclosure law, says nearly two-thirds of

children up to age 5 receive care from someone other than their parents.

And a federal study showed levels of pesticides found in dust were higher

at day-care centers than in private homes.

" There are weed problems, there are insect problems, there are rodent

problems, and there may be mold and mildew problems " for which chemicals

are applied at schools, said Glenn Brank, a spokesman for the California

Department of Pesticide Regulation.

The new law affects about 600 day-care centers statewide but excludes

small, in-home family day-care centers.

Among other provisions, notices must be posted in advance of spraying, and

day-care centers must keep records of pesticide use for four years. The

law follows by five years a similar rule requiring notification of

pesticide use at schools.

The state, meanwhile, must promote alternative ways of treating pests,

such as caulking cracks to keep ants away, or using bait or soapy water

spray, Brank said.

" It requires thoughtfulness and planning, but it does work, " he said. " We

want people to be careful in their approach to pest management. "

, owner of Problem Solved Pest Control in Stockton, said that

when spraying does occur at a school or day-care center, it typically is

done at the start of the weekend.

Some San Joaquin County schools have banned pesticides entirely, while

others use them only sparingly.

Under the new law, day-care workers also are entitled to learn about

pesticide use at their workplaces.

" It's a good idea. Anything that protects children and staff, " Eison said.

Contact reporter Breitler at or abreitler@....

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