Air Quality and Wildfire Smoke Guidance for Child Care Centres

Toronto has been experiencing more frequent, severe, and longer lasting wildfire smoke events, leading to poorer air quality. Poor air quality events may increase during Ontario’s wildfire season between early April to late October. Everyone is vulnerable to the effects from wildfire smoke regardless of age or health, but infants and young children are most at risk of adverse health effects.

Children may be more susceptible to wildfire smoke due to their rapidly developing immune systems and lungs. Children also have an increased rate of breathing and take in more air relative to their body weight and spend more time being active outdoors.

Being prepared, recognizing signs and symptoms of wildfire smoke exposure in children and taking action during wildfire smoke events are critical to preventing illness. The following sections provide information that child care centre operators and care providers can consider when preparing for wildfire smoke events. Each facility is different, choose the measures most applicable to your centre and its specific needs.

Ensure that your plan includes measures on how staff will respond to wildfire smoke events including monitoring for Air Quality Warnings (AQW) Yellow and Orange alerts issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP) and that your staff are familiar with response protocols.

Preparation and maintenance

  1. Prepare your staff to recognize signs of poor outdoor air quality due to wildfire smoke. Review the City of Toronto Wildfire Smoke Response Strategy. Consider creating a “Wildfire Smoke Readiness Plan” to establish a response procedure.
  2. Follow outdoor air quality alerts and warnings by regularly checking the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), active weather warnings and air quality advisories, wildfire smoke forecast maps, or download the WeatherCAN app on your phone and set notifications to be advised when the AQHI meet a level of concern set by you.
  3. Limit or modify outdoor activities for children during poor air quality alerts, keep windows and doors closed and use air conditioning during warm weather. Closely monitor children with medical conditions during any outdoor time.
  4. Ensure your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are inspected and maintained with clean filters before wildfire smoke season.
  5. Set your HVAC systems to recirculate indoor air during poor outdoor air quality periods.
  6. For outdoor activities staff may have access to well fitted respirator type masks such as a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) certified N95 or equivalent respirators may help to reduce exposure to fine particles but not gases in smoke.
    • Respiratory type masks are not recommended for children under 2 years old.
    • Children ages two years or older may wear a mask or respirator. Masks may not come in suitable sizes, may fit poorly or be uncomfortable. Children may wear masks incorrectly or take it off which reduces efficacy. Make sure you speak to parents or guardians and get permission before masking. Choose a mask size that fits over the child’s nose and under the chin but doesn’t impair their vision.

Reduce children’s exposure to poor air quality indoors

  1. Protect indoor air by using high-quality air filters in forced air systems based on manufacturer’s recommendations.
  2. Consider portable air purifiers if you don’t have a forced air system. Do it yourself options are available and additional resources include BCCDC: Do it Yourself Air Cleaner, Do it Yourself Ecology: Breathe Better by Easily Making a Clean Air Fan, Box Fan Filter: A Do it Yourself User Guide, Making a Corsi-Rosenthal box (Do it Yourself Air Cleaner.
  3. Check windows and door seals are tight and well maintained.
  4. Be familiar with the City of Toronto’s six Cleaner Air Spaces locations to seek relief during wildfire smoke events during the summer.
  5. Work with building owners and landlords as necessary to verify that forced air systems are functioning and if any structural repairs are required.

Stock up on essentials

  1. Ensure that you have access to water, liquids, or ice packs during hot weather and poor air quality events.
  2. Stock up on air filters for your HVAC systems before wildfire smoke season to ensure replacement filters are available.
  3. Notify parents or guardians in advance about an upcoming AQW so they can be prepared if any medication is required.

Consider the following list of measures during a wildfire smoke event. As each facility might be different, choose those measures that are applicable to your centre and its specific needs:

  1. Monitor the wildfire smoke conditions throughout the day and often to modify response measures as needed.
  2. Monitor children for any signs or symptoms related to poor air quality including children who may be at greater risk. Any children experiencing symptoms should stop physical activity, go indoors to cleaner air conditions, and if symptoms worsen and become more severe seek medical attention.
  3. Ensure that children with medical conditions and/or who are prescribed medications such as inhalers for asthma have a plan in place and access to their medications with the child care centre.
  4. Ensure children and staff are well hydrated and have set breaks.
  5. When possible, plan to move outdoor activities indoors and incorporate less physically intensive games.
  6. Limit or avoid the use of appliances that can make the indoor air quality worse such as stoves as much as possible.
  7. Replace or clean air filters in the ventilation system according to manufacturer’s recommendations.
  8. Use a portable air purifier to filter particles from wildfire smoke.
  9. Reduce sources of indoor air pollutants and protect indoor air from wildfire smoke infiltration.

A wildfire smoke and extreme heat events can occur at the same time. Extreme heat can be more dangerous to health than exposure to poor air quality so prioritize staying cool, well hydrated, and monitor children for signs or symptoms of heat or wildfire smoke illnesses.

  • Use air conditioning.
  • Facilities without central air conditioning should identify and use a cooling room/space.
  • Ensure indoor temperatures are maintained to prevent heat related illnesses.
  • Even during a wildfire smoke event, being outdoors and staying cool is important if indoor environments are too hot.
  • For more information, please visit the City of Toronto’s Hot Weather Plan for Child Care Centres.

Toronto Public Health will monitor, evaluate, and update the Wildfire Smoke Response Strategy on an annual basis. Toronto Public Health does not provide advice regarding closures of child care facilities or any restrictions of activities due to wildfire smoke events.