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​​Protect Their Future: Get Your Child Tested for Lead

Lead is a dangerous toxin that can have a devastating impact on a child's development, causing learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and even stunted growth. Unfortunately, many children are exposed to lead without even knowing it.

If you live in Philadelphia, your home is especially likely to contain lead paint. An estimated 95% of housing units in the city were built before 1978, the year lead paint was banned. These older homes pose a significant risk for lead dust hazards, which can be easily inhaled or ingested by young children.

Here's the good news: Lead poisoning is preventable. By getting your child tested and identifying potential lead hazards in your home, you can protect their health and future.

Why Test Your Child?

Lead exposure can happen in many ways, often through lead paint dust in older homes. Even small amounts of lead can be harmful, and symptoms can be subtle. Early detection is key! Regular blood lead testing is the only way to know for sure if your child has been exposed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all children be tested for lead poisoning at:

  • 12 months old
  • 24 months old
  • Between ages 2 and 6 if they haven't been tested previously or are at higher risk

How to Talk to Your Pediatrician

Talk to your child's pediatrician about lead testing during their next well-child visit. They can recommend the best course of action based on your child's age and risk factors.

Don't Wait! Get Your Home Tested Too!

Here's How to Get Your Home Tested:

  • Contact a certified lead inspector. They can identify lead paint and provide recommendations for safe removal or abatement.
  • Check with your local health department. They may offer free or low-cost lead testing programs.
  • Look for resources from the Lead-Free Promise Project. This statewide coalition provides information and assistance to Pennsylvania families.

By working together, we can protect our children from the dangers of lead poisoning. Take action today!

Protect Your Child. Get Them Tested. Get Your Home Tested.

State & Federal Resources

  • Looking to verify the PA certification of a Lead Abatement Contractor or looking to become certified as a Lead Abatement professional in Pennsylvania? Find that information and more at PA Department of Labor and Industry’s Lead Occupations webpage: www.dli.pa.gov/lead

  • Looking for information on requirements for conducting renovation, repair, or painting projects in pre-1978 homes or buildings as well as find an EPA lead-safe certified Firm, Renovator or Dust Wipe Sampling Technician? Visit ​EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting website at https://www.epa.gov/lead/lead-renovation-repair-and-painting-program

City of Philadelphia Resources

  • https://www.phila.gov/lead
    • This is a website devoted to giving basic information about lead exposure and risk. This doesn’t point directly to any resources or services, so any copy that’s associated with it shouldn’t promise anything beyond a chance to learn why lead is dangerous and where it can be found.

  • https://www.phila.gov/primary-care/
    • This is a website that allows for Philadelphia residents to look for primary care providers, including pediatricians. We’d like to connect this with copy that explicitly recommends that folks talk to their pediatrician about getting their child tested for lead; and if they don’t have a pediatrician, here’s a place to find a provider near you.
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