During the scorching days of the previous summer, Lyndsay MacKay would often find her 16-month-old son at daycare in a diaper, his skin sticky and hair matted. Upon her arrival, he would cling to her, exhibiting signs of exhaustion. MacKay acknowledged the efforts of daycare staff in trying to keep the children cool with measures like using ice cubes and offering popsicles. However, she emphasized that despite these efforts, the children were still hot, sweaty, and drained by the end of the day, just barely getting through.
As a mother from Toronto and an early childhood education professor at Humber Polytechnic, MacKay is part of a growing movement advocating for setting a maximum indoor temperature in daycares across Canada, possibly around 26°C, similar to the standards implemented for long-term care facilities in Ontario.
Young children, including infants and toddlers, are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heatstroke due to their higher metabolism and less efficient sweat glands. Recognizing the symptoms in children can be challenging since they may not be able to communicate their discomfort. Dr. Kirstin Weerdenburg, a pediatrician, highlighted the importance of observing children’s behaviors and physical signs to identify signs of heat illness early on.
Ensuring a safe and cool environment in daycares is crucial for the well-being of children, emphasized Amy O’Neil, the executive director of Treetop Children’s Centre in Toronto. O’Neil stressed that maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature is not merely about comfort but a matter of safety. She advocated for government intervention to address high temperatures in daycares to safeguard children’s health.
Although Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed interest in addressing maximum indoor temperatures in daycares, no significant progress has been made on this front. The lack of clear regulations regarding indoor temperatures in daycares is a concern shared across various provinces in Canada. While some regions mandate a heat source in winter, there is a noticeable absence of guidelines for maintaining safe temperatures in extreme heat conditions.
Advocacy groups like For Our Kids in Nova Scotia have raised awareness about the need to regulate temperatures in childcare facilities due to the rising temperatures and the associated risks. Jacqueline Wilson from the Canadian Environmental Law Association emphasized the importance of establishing maximum indoor temperature legislation and funding for necessary upgrades in childcare centers.
As extreme heat events become more frequent, it is imperative to revisit and update temperature guidelines periodically to ensure the safety and well-being of children in daycare settings. With forecasts indicating increasingly warmer years ahead, proactive measures are essential to mitigate the risks associated with high indoor temperatures in childcare facilities.