8/7/2024: Governor Lamont announced the launch of the “Lead Free CT Campaign” to protect children from the harmful health impacts of lead. A key component of the “Lead Free CT” campaign includes the launch of a lead abatement program, which is providing homeowners and landlords with the opportunity to make older homes lead-safe by removing lead paint hazards at no cost. Funded by $20 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, this limited-time program will help in the safe removal of lead hazards from homes, including family childcare settings. Participation in this program is entirely voluntary and free of charge to homeowners and landlords. The Connecticut Department of Public Health is partnering with the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center to administer the program.
To view eligibility details and apply, visit leadfreect.org. This is a limited-time program, so those who are interested are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
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Any house or apartment built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. Most homes built before 1960 contain lead-based paint. Lead-based paint produced before 1960 contains higher concentrations of lead than paint manufactured in later years.
Lead-based paint can be on walls, ceilings, woodwork, windows, and sometimes floors. When lead-based paint on these surfaces is broken, sanded, or scraped, it breaks into tiny, sometimes invisible, pieces that your child may swallow or inhale. Even small repair and renovation jobs, including repainting projects, can create enough lead dust and chips to harm your child.
“Connecticut Children’s Healthy Homes Program” (Healthy Homes) understands that the places and conditions in which children live shape their lives and their health. Toxins and hazards often found in older or poorly maintained homes, such as lead-based paint, mold, and unsafe windows or stairs, can cause children and their families to get sick or injured. Recognizing the impact that housing has on children’s lives, Healthy Homes seeks to improve the well-being of children by constructing a strong foundation for them to thrive. The program strives to prevent housing-related issues. It also strives to catch and correct any problems as early as possible. In doing so, the program helps to strengthen health and development outcomes in children’s earliest years and establishes a platform for health throughout their lives. For more information on the program, visit the link here: Healthy Homes Program | Connecticut Children’s (connecticutchildrens.org)
CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING:
Lead poisoning in children is preventable. The key is stopping children from coming into contact with lead and treating children who have been poisoned by lead. Once a child has been poisoned the impairment it may cause is irreversible.
All children under the age of 6 years are at risk because they are growing so rapidly and because they tend to put their hands or other objects, which may be contaminated with lead-based paint or lead contaminated dust into their mouths.
Lead poisoning causes irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system as well as the heart and red blood cells resulting in:
The harmful effects of lead poisoning are permanent. The only cure is prevention!
For more information go to:
Connecticut Department of Public Health, Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Program: https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Environmental-Health/Lead-Poisoning-Prevention-and-Control/Lead-Poisoning-Prevention-and-Control-Program
To Find Application Sites in Connecticut’s Community Resources Database:
Search by service names:
Lead Poisoning Screening
Environmental Hazards Cleanup for Lead Poisoning
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SOURCES: Connecticut Department of Public Health; CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning
PREPARED BY: 211/mm
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: August2024