Kane County Healthy Places Coalition partners collaborate all year, but especially each October, to highlight lead poisoning risks and prevention. Since lead poisoning is entirely preventable, we want to make parents and other residents aware that lead--from many sources-- continues to poison young children pregnant women and other adults in Kane County. Data from the Illinois Department of Health show that about half of the lead-poisoned children in our region are harmed by pre-1978 paint in their homes, while others are harmed by lead in painted toys, toy jewelry, candy, or poorly glazed pottery, or through a foreign exposure.
Our Coalition is partnering with physicians, retail paint and hardware stores, and permit departments this month.
Our Healthy Places Coalition has developed a new picture tool to educate parents and children on unusual sources of lead when they bring a young child in for a well child visit. Download the Physician Lead Picture Tool in English or Physician Lead Picture Tool in Spanish
Our Coalition is visiting permit departments in Kane County to gather input on ways that they can make awareness information more available to residents and contractors. A new online kit will be created that shares best practices and makes good info accessible!
There are a number of laws in Illinois to protect residents from lead poisoning.
The Illinois Department of Public Health collects data for all counties in the state.
In Kane County:
o 23% of children, under the age of 6, had their blood lead levels tested in 2016.
Decrease Your Lead Risk
Click the links below to learn what you can do to lower lead risk for pregnant women and children under the age of six.
