March 8, 2023 (DETROIT) – Working to protect the children and residents of Detroit from lead poisoning, the newly formed Get The Lead Out Detroit Coalition presents the Lead-Safe Kids Resource Fair on Saturday, March 18. Free and open to the public, the event is part of the 2023 FREC East Book Fair and Family Resource Day.
The Get The Lead Out Detroit Coalition wants residents of Detroit to know that lead poisoning is 100-Percent preventable. Nevertheless, each year 1,500 Detroit children are diagnosed with lead poisoning. Lead poisoning can have a permanent impact on a child’s future health and well-being. It is important to get the facts, get your child tested, and get your home tested.
At the Lead Safe Kids Resource Fair, families will access a host of free resources for their health and home. Free blood lead testing for kids from Wayne Health Mobile Unit is among the health resources available at no cost on Saturday, March 18. Others include lead poisoning prevention tips and safe cleaning demonstrations from the Detroit Health Department and information from the Detroit Lead Safe Housing Program. Free cleaning kits also will be available.
Parents receiving tests results showing their child has lead poisoning are often caught unprepared. The Resource Fair will help families discover if their children have been poisoned by lead and how to address lead hazards in their home.
Lead in paint was banned in 1978, but Detroit children are disproportionately affected by lead poisoning since more than 90% of homes in Detroit were built before 1978. Lead can be found inside and outside the home, most often in the form of lead-contaminated dust around painted surfaces – especially windowsills. When lead dust is breathed in or swallowed, it will remain in the body where it can result in damage to the brain and nervous system, learning and behavior problems, slow growth and development, and hearing and speech problems.
The Lead-Safe Kids Resource Fair is part of the FREC East Book Fair and Family Resource Day taking place on Saturday, March 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in collaboration with Our Kids Read. The collaboration will provide many resources from free lead testing to free children’s books and more. All the resources for families are free of charge. Refreshments also will be available.
The Ford Resource and Engagement Center – East is located at 15491 Maddelein Street, Detroit, Michigan 48205.
Lead poisoning is 100% preventable and testing is key to early intervention. Only 21.9% of eligible Detroit children were tested in 2021. The Coalition encourages Detroit families with children under six years of age to have their children tested every year. Lead poisoning and lead contamination often are difficult to detect especially in the early years while the brain is developing.
Housing resources are part of the Lead Safe Kids Resource Fair as well. Families can investigate if funding for home repairs is available to them from Michigan Saves Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund and Detroit Lead Safe Housing Program. Representatives from Lakeshore Legal Aid will advise families on their rights about lead hazards. And CLEARCorps Detroit will have information about the DTE Energy Efficiency Program.
Also on March 18, the FREC East Book Fair and Family Resource Day is offering free children’s books through Our Kids Readas well as free haircuts and produce boxes. Free professional services for families include tax assistance, legal services and employment opportunities.
About Get the Lead Out Detroit Coalition
The Get the Lead Out Detroit Coalition was established with the support of the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation with a purpose of reducing the number of children poisoned by lead hazards in the home by identifying and executing strategies to support lead safe kids and lead safe homes for families.
The fourteen founding partners of the Coalition include: CLEARCorps Detroit; Building Community Value; Detroit Future City; Detroit Health Department; City of Detroit Housing and Revitalization Department; Lakeshore Legal Aid; Wayne State University Center for Urban Studies, De-Lead Education and Advocacy in Detroit; the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, Kids’ Health Connection, DTE Energy Efficiency Assistance Program, Rocket Community Fund, and Enterprise Community Partners.
For more information, members of the public are invited to email the coalition in care of CLEARCorps Detroit at: detroitleadcoalition@gmail.com. Members of the news media are invited to contact Melissa Bunker at (586) 219-0094.