King Open & Peabody Preschools, Baby U, Center for Families
New healthy PVC-free nap mats will help Cambridge preschoolers sleep safely! We will purchase 80 mats for programs still using old mats that are coated with PVC, a chemical associated with negative health effects. All kids in Cambridge preschools deserve a safe nap!
The nap mats provided to young children attending public preschools in Cambridge need to be safe. Young children often have their mouth in contact with the mat and traces of chemicals can leach out while they are sleeping.
The 80 new mats we purchase will go to the King Open and Peabody School preschools, to Baby University, and the Center for Families, programs that are still using old mats that contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a chemical associated with negative health effects.
The new nap mats consist of soft one-inch-thick foam padding, covered by polyester fabric with a thin urethane coating, heat-sealed to keep out moisture. The mats will be free of PVC and fire retardant chemicals that have not been shown to provide added fire safety. Tests by environmental groups show that these mats are the safe alternative. Let’s make sure that all Cambridge preschools have them and all preschoolers can sleep safely!
The City estimates that the new mats will cost $50 each.
![Nap pad](/-/media/Images/participatorybudgeting/pbcycles/pbcycle3/proposals/a6.png)
![4-section nap pad](/-/media/Images/participatorybudgeting/pbcycles/pbcycle3/proposals/b4.png)
![nap_mats.jpg](/-/media/Images/participatorybudgeting/pbcycles/pbcycle3/proposals/nap_mats.png)