Protect your child from the risk of lead poisoning by signing up for a home screening today at tinyurl.com/NidoEnroll.

Kent County has the second highest number of children (330 children) who tested positive for Elevated Blood Lead Levels in the State of Michigan, with 49503, 49504, and 49507 being our hardest hit zip codes. It is important to know the signs to look for lead in your home.

Lead in the home is a silent and prevalent danger in Kent County. The numbers are staggering. According to Kent County’s Lead Taskforce, this is a county-wide issue. Four out of every five homes in Grand Rapids were built before 1978, the year lead paint was banned. Homes with exposed lead-based paint – whether on an interior surface or paint that has chipped from exterior surfaces – pose possible health risks to children. We also understand the disparities with this issue, as households in the city ZIP codes of 49507, 49504, or 49503 are particularly affected.

According to the Lead Task Force, two out of every three children in Kent County with elevated blood-lead levels live in these three zip codes. The fallout of lead poising in young children is often long-term, especially if the issue is not identified early. There is no known safe blood lead concentration. Exposure to low amounts may be undetectable but a cause of irreversible neurological, developmental, and long-term health issues. As lead exposure increases, the range and seriousness of symptoms and effects also increase – children may be left with severe intellectual disability and behavioral disorders for the remainder of their lives.

Early identification and remediation are key to preventing lead exposure and ensuring all children in Kent County have the full opportunity for long-term health and success. First Steps Kent is proud of Healthy Home Coalition’s proactive efforts to identify homes with potential lead and environmental health risks and how they support families in learning how to reduce or remediate homes with such risksOur team is enthusiastic about Screen Before School because we wholeheartedly believe that every child, regardless of race or economic status, deserves to grow up in a safe and healthy home.