As wildfire smoke increasingly affects air quality in Illinois, concerns are rising over the absence of a comprehensive statewide policy to safeguard children’s health during outdoor activities. Medical professionals and local officials emphasize the need for clear, actionable guidelines to protect young people from the harmful effects of poor air quality.

In mid-July, parts of Illinois experienced air quality index (AQI) levels exceeding 130, classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” which include children. Despite these conditions, responses among local youth programs have varied widely. For example, a 4-year-old attending a local camp was kept indoors with windows closed and air purifiers running, while programs for older children continued outdoor activities as usual, prompting some parents to keep children at home.

Illinois currently lacks a statewide standard addressing children’s outdoor activity during periods of poor air quality. While the state requires daily recess and encourages outdoor time in schools, guidance related to air quality is limited. The Illinois Board of Education offers recommendations for outdoor recess in extreme heat or cold but does not address smoke or pollution exposure. Chicago Public Schools recently adapted its heat response plan to move summer programming indoors during an air quality alert, but such measures are not mandated statewide.

Local park districts have developed their own protocols that differ in significant ways. The Park District of Oak Park allows outdoor activities when the AQI is between 101 and 150, recommending frequent breaks but not requiring cancellation. Meanwhile, the Chicago Park District moves programming indoors when the AQI exceeds 150 and may cancel outdoor events. Both approaches align with EPA school guidance last updated in 2014, which advises activity modifications below an AQI of 200 but does not mandate bringing children indoors until very unhealthy levels are reached.

Experts note that this federal guidance leaves room for interpretation and may not fully protect young children, whose lungs continue developing into their early 20s. Furthermore, children’s higher relative inhalation rates and inability to consistently modify physical activity make them particularly vulnerable even at lower AQI levels. The EPA guidance primarily addresses acute symptoms like coughing and wheezing close to exposure but does not account for the potential cumulative impact of repeated smoke exposure throughout childhood.

West Coast states with more frequent wildfire smoke have implemented tiered frameworks that set clearer thresholds for indoor activities and cancellations. Oregon updated its policy in June to reflect recent research indicating harm at lower exposure levels. California and Washington provide graduated recommendations tailored to age and activity intensity, while King County Public Health advises all children under 18 to stay indoors once the AQI reaches 100.

While cancelling outdoor programs can disproportionately affect families reliant on school or camp for childcare and meals, medical professionals advocate for a nuanced statewide standard. Such a policy would outline specific AQI thresholds, differentiate age groups, and offer concrete examples of activity modifications. The goal is to provide clear guidance to program directors without placing the burden solely on parents to interpret inconsistent local policies.

Public health officials suggest that Illinois could benefit from adopting a comprehensive approach modeled on jurisdictions with established wildfire smoke standards. As wildfire events and smoke exposure become more frequent due to climate change, experts stress the importance of ensuring children’s environments protect their long-term respiratory health.

Physicians Dr. Victoria Johnson and Dr. Sheetal Khedkar Rao, both practicing in the Chicago area, emphasize that protecting children from air pollution during wildfire events should be a coordinated state effort rather than a patchwork of local decisions. They caution that families should not have to assume the role of “air quality officers” and call for Illinois to develop clear, consistent policies ahead of future wildfire smoke episodes.