OUR ECO-MMITMENT

We are committed to business practices that are safe, sustainable, and best for our environment and for our children.

WE REDUCE & RE-USE

For all children who wear diapers, we use our own cotton diaper panels, water-resistant snap-able diaper wraps, and flushable organic bamboo liners while children are at school. At the end of each day, more than 300 pounds of used diapers are laundered at our off-site commercial laundry facility in energy-efficient washers and dryers.
Our centers avoid using disposable materials whenever possible. This allows us to use fewer natural resources, less energy, and sends less trash to landfills.
We expressly purchase only energy-efficient appliances. We are a Pacific Power “Blue Sky” customer and we choose to purchase renewable energy.

Classrooms are filled with re-purposed, clean loose parts that inspire, and young scientists are invited to explore, build, and investigate. Much of the handmade furniture we’ve built is made from scrap or reclaimed wood.

We know that the cleaning supplies that we use have an impact on our health and the environment so we seek out alternative, safe products for daily use. We use a neutral pH cleaner for all routine cleaning tasks, and a quaternary ammonium chloride compound (QUAT, for short) for sanitizing and disinfecting. QUAT is low in toxicity and corrosivity while also maintaining an excellent wide-spectrum germ kill ability. ChildRoots is an aerosol and perfume-free environment.
The unscented, organic hand soap we use at all of our centers is sourced from the locally owned Oregon Soap Company. They have partnered with Friends of Trees to plant one tree or native plant for each 5 gallons of soap they sell.
DUE TO COVID-19, IN ADDITION TO USING OUR ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANER AND SANITIZER, WE NOW HAVE MORE STRINGENT CLEANING AND SANITATION PROTOCOL IN PLACE AS WELL. THESE INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP FOR HAND WASHING, WIPING DOWN SURFACES THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH A BLEACH SOLUTION.

We do business locally as much as possible. From maintenance and service providers to toys, materials, and even our lunch menu, we choose to support locally-owned businesses and keep the money we spend in our community. Our chefs establish relationships with local farmers and produce vendors so we can be aware of where our food comes from, how it’s grown, and how it gets to us. For additional services, we often utilize the skills of our enrolled families. It is our sincere hope that each decision we make can lead to a safer, greener, and more equitable society.

Children in our program learn the meaning of the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra early. We are inspired by a child’s curiosity surrounding the natural world, and we take many opportunities to model respect, caring, and reverence for our Earth. Together, we explore where our resources come from and children are encouraged to take only what they need. children and teachers partner to investigate the natural world. Through watching creepy crawlies in our compost to caring for the vegetables and flowers we grow each spring from seeds, we aspire to instill a lifelong appreciation for nature.