Lead Free Kids
Lead Fee Kids & Inspections
Lead Free Kids-
The Lead Free Kids project is an evidence-based prevention program based on state and national recommendations for childhood lead prevention programs. Throughout the years of the program duration, LFK has developed a long history of proven success in preventing, identifying, and providing medical assistance for childhood lead poisoning in the tri-county Empowerment area. Given past lead testing and inspection rates, LFK anticipates serving 625 children younger than six years of age in Cerro Gordo, Hancock and Worth Counties throughout the 2008-09 grant period (i.e. 7/1/08 – 6/30/09) and will strive to reduce childhood lead poisoning in this target population. In order to attain these goals, LFK will implement methods to increase community awareness, provide early identification and treatment of childhood lead poisoning and incorporate techniques to decrease lead exposure. All efforts to achieve this goal will parallel the program’s mission to “Aggressively prevent, identify and treat childhood lead poisoning.”
To achieve the program goal and mission, program activities will concentrate on prevention and intervention strategies to enhance current childhood lead poisoning endeavors and sustain the number of children receiving services. Key activities include:
-
Provision of capillary testing through all local public health departments and area Women, Infant and Children (WIC) clinics free-of-cost.
-
Provision of home inspection services with an x-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine by a certified inspector.
-
Implementation of education and outreach techniques utilizing specific tools, including Leadie Eddie and interactive displays.
-
Implementation of public awareness methods highlighting the importance of testing children for lead poisoning.
Lead Free Kids-Inspections will provide an integral piece to a comprehensive lead program. This project proposes providing proactive inspections, so that more children could be prevented from becoming lead poisoned. The target population is: families residing in a home built prior to 1978 in the tri-county area that have at least one child under age 6 living there. Additionally, all families residing in past inspected homes that have remaining hazards will be targets as well. With the initial proactive inspections, twenty families will be served. Additionally, fifty-three families will be served with follow up services. The identified fifty-three families were provided with a proactive inspection in the past, but have not completely remediated their homes to date.
