Healthy Homes Program
Our Mission
The Healthy Home Program provides environmental health consulting, home assessments and indoor environmental investigations, conducts research, provides patient driven and evidence-based education, training and is located within the Office for Community Impact at Children’s Mercy.
Our Purpose
We believe that everyone deserves a safe and healthy home. Some of the most vulnerable populations of children live within our community that experience severe asthma attacks and complex medical conditions. Our goal is to help improve children’s health and advocate for healthier and safer housing conditions, safer neighborhoods, more cooperative relationships between families and landlords, and easy to access resources for families, which can ultimately reduce overall health outcomes for these children. All of these efforts are sensitive to the needs, goals, and culture for each and every family we serve.
Send a referral or contact us
Why is a healthy home important?
Children with major chronic diseases such as asthma, immunocompromised, heart or autoimmune disease or lead poisoning, can experience significant health and safety exposures when living in homes that have issues such as:
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Poor ventilation
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Airborne chemicals
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Radon
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Pealing and flaking paint
In some cases, environmental exposures like tobacco smoke, cockroaches, and dust mites can lead to the development of diseases such as asthma. Overtime, these exposure risks can lead to worsening of a child’s health, add hospital visits, and increase healthcare costs for families. Your child’s health and safety matters to us. Complete the “refer my child” request form above to improve the overall care and wellbeing of your child.
What is a Home Assessment?
Here within the Healthy Home Program, we provide in-person and virtual home assessments to the families we serve.
- Our team of Health Educators and Environmental Hygienists provide virtual and in-person home assessments to families that are interested in improving the home environmental conditions.
- Virtual home assessment: Takes approx. 1 hour to complete. The family takes the healthy home team around their home using their mobile device to show the issues they have.
- In-person home assessment: Takes approx. 2 hours to complete, which includes a visual assessment of the home safety and health concerns, possible indoor air quality measurements, education and goal setting with the family.
After the home assessment, families receive a report that includes the findings and an issue and action plan along with potential community resources.
Healthy Home Family resources
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Mid-America Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (MAPEHSU) - For regional concerns for environmental exposures and outreach.
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LiftUp KC - A searchable database for local community needs.
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One Touch KC - A SDOH survey used by community providers.
- In the Community Home
- Community Programs
- Environmental Health Program
- Meet the Team
- Healthy Homes Program
- Lead Risk Assessment
- Healthy Home Assessment
- Healthy Homes Training Opportunities
- Healthy Schools and Childcare Program
- Healthy Schools Training Opportunities
- Mid-America Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (MAPEHSU)