How wildfire smoke impacts childcare practices

Sharon A. Jones, professor in the Department of Engineering & Mathematics, recently co-published a paper in The International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (IJDRR) examining how childcare providers adapt to wildfire smoke.

Alongside Dr. Ruth Dittrich, an associate professor of economics at the University of Portland, they began researching responses to wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. Their latest research focuses on young children, one of the populations most vulnerable to climate impacts.

With a team of student researchers, Jones and Dittrich surveyed licensed childcare providers in Seattle, asking them about how they accessed information, perceived risks and implemented protective actions during wildfire smoke events.

They worked with José Lins (Applied Computing, GIS minor ‘23), a data analyst and visualization specialist for UW Bothell, to bring an equity lens to their research.

Lins helped identify patterns connected to environmental justice, looking at how childcare facilities faced disproportionate risks and barriers to adaptation.

Sumaya Yusuf (Applied Computing, Data Science minor ‘25), who worked on the project as a student, was inspired to do more research at an academic level.

“My aunt runs a childcare home, and I’ve seen firsthand how much of her own resources go into running it and caring for the kids there.” Yusuf said. “I was drawn to seeing how research like this could actually lead to policy change — whether that’s advocating for funding, resources or things like indoor air quality monitors for facilities that can’t afford them on their own.”

While the project focuses on childcare providers, the researchers emphasize how the results have a real-world impact. The research is ongoing as the team goes on to conduct interviews with childcare providers, policy advocacy and project proposals with community partners.

Read more about this project in the full UW Bothell story, “A look at how childcare providers adapt to wildfire smoke.”