General Questions
Does it cost anything to participate?

It is free for child care centers to participate in the Clean Air for Carolina Kids Study.

In fact, there are several benefits to participating in the program, including gift cards and free air quality monitoring.

I’m interested in speaking to a member of the study team. Who can I contact?

Thank you for your interest in our study.

You can visit our contact page to be put in touch with a member of our study team. Please be sure to include your name, contact information, and any questions or comments you have about our program

Will project materials be available in Spanish?

No. Due to limited project resources, only English language materials are available.

Enrollment Questions
Am I eligible to enroll my child care center?

We are currently enrolling licensed child care centers in our study area. We are currently working in the following North Carolina counties: Durham, Granville, Halifax, Vance, Wake, or Warren Counties, North Carolina.

To participate, your center must allow a few members of our team to visit your center to install air quality monitoring equipment, with periodic, pre-scheduled return visits to maintain and conduct routine maintenance on the equipment. We would maintain the equipment for 2 years and then would donate the equipment to your center to continue monitoring air quality around your center.

Click here to start signing up!

How do I enroll my child care center?

To start the enrollment process, please fill out our eligibility form. A member of our study team will then call you to confirm your eligibility, explain the study activities and participation requirements, and help your child care center enroll.

If I decide to enroll, what is involved with my center’s participation?
  • After enrolling with a member of our study team, we will ask you a few questions about your center over the phone.

  • A few members of our team will then visit your center to install the air quality monitoring equipment, with periodic, pre-scheduled return visits to maintain and conduct routine maintenance on the equipment. We would maintain the equipment for 2 years and then would donate the equipment to your center to continue monitoring air quality around your center.

  • Your center will receive $200 for your participation, along with real-time updates on the air quality around your center, with our team's recommendations for how to take action to reduce children’s exposures.
I am interested in enrolling my center, but I still have questions. Who do I contact?

Thank you for your center’s interest in our study!

You can visit our contact page to send us a message, or you can leave us a voicemail/text message at 855-997-0089. A member of our study team will contact you as soon as possible.

Air Quality Equipment and Center Visit Questions
What are the air quality monitors measuring?

We will monitor PM2.5, ozone, and their precursors (NOx, NO2, and SO2). These are common air quality parameters that have been shown to impact children's development.

Who will visit our center to install and maintain the air quality monitoring equipment?

Research assistants on our study team will visit your center to install and maintain the air quality monitoring equipment.

All of our research assistants have received child care criminal background checks, are vaccinated for COVID-19, and will comply with all of your center's health and safety requirements.

You can learn more about our research assistants here.

Air Quality Monitoring Questions
What kind of air quality monitoring equipment is being used?

Gaseous NO2, NOx, SO2, and O3 will be collected using Ogawa passive samplers. The data will be collected for 14 days seasonally (i.e., summer, fall, winter, and spring). Four sampling events per year will be conducted over 2 years, starting in the summer of 2023.

PM2.5, along with outdoor temperature and humidity, will be measured using solar-powered PurpleAir PA-II-SD sensors.

Who can see the results from air quality monitoring at my child care center?

Air quality data will be available for center directors to monitor in real-time online. We will only directly share the information for monitoring air quality data with the center director. We also encourage center directors to share the air quality monitoring information with staff members and families.

What are the health impacts of these air quality parameters?

PM2.5, NOx, NO2, SO2, and ozone have been linked to numerous adverse health impacts, including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and negative impacts on lung development. These pollutants can cause or exacerbate many conditions that reduce children’s quality of life, such as asthma and allergies; impact neurodevelopment and cognitive ability; and increase health risks later in life, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

I have a question about the air quality monitoring around my center. Who can I talk to?

Our study team is happy to help answer questions or concerns about your results. Please contact us!