Ghent Installs Mobile Air Conditioners in Daycares to Protect Young Children from Heat

The city of Ghent is taking proactive steps to ensure the comfort of its youngest residents by installing 33 mobile air conditioning units in daycare centers. This measure specifically targets facilities located in older buildings that struggle with adequate ventilation during heatwaves.

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The priority lies particularly with the young children.

Lieve De Bosscher, director of Ghent's childcare services, emphasized that the deployment of these units was a planned heat mitigation strategy, not a reaction to specific complaints. The priority is to provide a cool environment for children aged 0 to 3, particularly during their sleep times. The city aims to maintain optimal conditions, recognizing that temperature and humidity levels can vary significantly between buildings.

When temperatures in sleeping areas reach 27 degrees Celsius, caregivers are instructed to monitor children more closely. Beyond air conditioning, the daycare centers are implementing other strategies to keep children cool. These include offering more fluids, engaging them in water-based play activities, and using timers to remind children to drink regularly.

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We always monitor the children when they sleep. As soon as it is 27 degrees Celsius in the bedroom, caregivers must check on the sleeping children more often anyway.

As a last resort, if other cooling measures prove insufficient, daycare centers may close early. However, the city strives to accommodate parents who may face difficulties finding alternative childcare. For those who choose to keep their children home during extreme heat, no fees or respite days will be charged. This approach helps reduce the number of children present, allowing staff to dedicate more attention to those who remain.

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So we bring the mobile air conditioners to the places that do not have the right ventilation or cooling systems. Because it is especially important that young children can sleep in a cooled room.