NEW HAVEN, NY – Did you know that the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes? Well it can, and does, every time your skin is exposed to the sun without protection. That’s just one of the sun safety facts that children at Little Lamb Daycare in New Haven, New York, learned when they were treated to a presentation on sun safety.
Christina Wallace, program specialist with the Cancer Prevention in Action (CPiA) program, recently visited Little Lamb Daycare where she conducted a number of fun sun safety experiments to educate the children about what the sun can do to unprotected skin and how to protect themselves against the harmful effects of the sun’s rays whenever outdoors.
Since the inception of CPiA, Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) has partnered with a number of organizations and municipalities to establish sun safety policies to protect community members.
“When we began exploring the idea of working with daycares in Oswego County to promote sun safety I asked some friends if they knew of any New York State certified and registered daycare providers,” Wallace. said “A friend of mine whose daughter attends Little Lamb Daycare thought that owner Tracy Lamb would be interested. When I spoke with Tracy she was very receptive and invited me to visit her daycare… When we met we discussed the benefits of having a sun safety policy and then created one that highlights the most effective ways to protect yourself against sun’s UV rays. Proper protection can prevent painful sunburns and helps avoid the development of skin cancer in the future. Children of all ages are susceptible to getting a sunburn if they are not protected properly. The risk for skin cancer can be greatly reduced when certain precautions are practiced.”
As part of its sun safety policy Little Lamb Daycare will provide sufficient areas of shade for outdoor play; monitor the heat index and schedule outdoor activities accordingly; keep infants younger than six months of age out of direct sunlight; limit sun exposure between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.; encourage children and their guardians to apply broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen; and wear wide brimmed hats, protective clothing and protective sunglasses. Additionally, sun safety education will be provided to new and existing parents and guardians.
“We appreciate Christina coming out and explaining the importance of sun safety,” Lamb said. “The children had so much fun learning through coloring books and answering questions. They also loved the free sunglasses they received courtesy of CPiA to help protect them on sunny days.”
OCO is a subcontractor of the St. Lawrence Health Initiative to deliver Cancer Prevention in Action messages locally in Oswego County. To learn more about CPiA, visit takeactionagainstcancer.com.
* CPiA is supported by funds from the State of New York.
Did you know that OCO is celebrating its 55th Anniversary? Fifty-five years ago, OCO was officially incorporated as the county’s “Economic Opportunity” agency (now referred to as Community Action Agency). The agency was “born” as a result of President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty” and while the words have changed slightly over time, OCO’s mission has stayed true to empowering people, supporting the community and changing lives…particularly for those who lack resources to thrive. For more information on OCO visit oco.org.