Children are exposed daily to a broad range of chemicals in everything from the food they eat and the products they use to the air they breathe. By investigating how these exposures affect child health, and translating that knowledge to enable meaningful action, we can help enhance the health of children for generations to come. 

The 2026 ECHO Translating Science to Action Symposium will examine how chemical exposures influence child health and development, with a focus on two key areas: Plastics & Plasticizers and Air Quality. 

Following sequential sessions on these topics, a crosscutting panel will explore how to translate chemical exposures research to inform programs, policy and practice. Panelists will discuss strategies for building trust and communicating scientific evidence effectively to varied audiences including policymakers, health care providers, patients, parents, and communities. 

The symposium brings together researchers, policymakers, health professionals, and advocates to connect cutting-edge science with real-world solutions.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition affecting an estimated 26.8 million people in the United States, including 4.5 million children. Children are particularly susceptible to wildfire smoke for several reasons: their respiratory systems are still developing; they breathe more air (and air pollution) per pound of body weight than adults; and they’re more likely to be active outdoors.

This webinar will explore the intersection of wildfire smoke exposure and childhood asthma. Expert speakers, drawn from EPA’s National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management winners and wildfire smoke grant program recipients, will share best practices, community-engagement strategies, and innovative approaches to integrating wildfire smoke readiness into asthma control efforts, protecting children’s respiratory health during wildfire smoke events and improving asthma health outcomes.

Click here for additional information.

RSVP here to attend.

On January 17, 2025, HUD published a notice modifying its elevated blood lead level (EBLL) threshold under its Lead Safe Housing Rule (24 CFR 35, subparts B - R)[2] from to 5 to 3.5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (µg/dL) for a child under the age of 6, consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's current blood lead reference value of 3.5 µg/dL.

This notice also describes the required compliance dates for implementing this modification, which depend on whether the applicable State, State-level jurisdiction, territory, or local jurisdiction has already incorporated a blood lead level action threshold equal to or lower than the CDC’s current blood lead reference value (April 17, 2025) or not (July 16, 2025).

Questions about this notice can be directed to Warren Friedman, Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 8236, Washington, DC 20410-3000, telephone 202-402-7698 (this is not a toll-free number), and email LeadRegulations@HUD.gov.