Protect NC children from lead in child care centers!

Here’s the truth: there is no safe level for lead in children's blood and, because the effects cannot be reversed, they are lifelong.

Fortunately, here in North Carolina, we have good news. Right now state officials at the NC Commission for Public Health are considering a new policy that would protect more than 230,000 babies and young children from toxic lead in the water used for drinking and food prep at licensed child care centers.

The proposed rule would require licensed child care centers to test for lead every three years and, if detected, take action to clean up lead in water used for drinking and food prep. And, even better, North Carolina has secured EPA grant money to pay for the testing. This means we can make drinking water safer for infants and young children, without adding to child care costs!

But state officials need to hear from parents and child care providers that they support this rule by no later than August 2^nd! Can you take a moment to urge the NC Commission for Public Health to adopt this commonsense rule by submitting a comment now?

Personalizing your comment will make it even more powerful - especially if you are a parent of a young child or an early childhood educator! Please consider clicking in the box to add a personal note about why protecting babies and young children from lead exposure matters to you.

There are lots of reasons why taking action on lead in child care centers makes sense. Some of the primary concerns are:

Babies and young children are especially at risk of harm from lead. Research shows that there is no safe level of lead exposure for a child. Babies' and young children's body systems are still developing, and are in a critical life stage for brain development.
The consequences of lead exposure can last a lifetime. Even at the lowest levels of exposure, lead can reduce IQ and harm children's ability to concentrate and focus in school. The effects are permanent and have been linked to children's education, health outcomes, and long-term earning potential.
Prevention is the best medicine. The proposed regulation is a great example of a good preventative approach to lead exposure. Requiring cleanup when elevated lead water levels are found can have the added benefit of getting rid of other common contaminants in the water, such as pesticides and chlorine by-products.

Lead exposure is entirely preventable and this rule is an important step towards bringing exposure levels to zero for North Carolina’s children.

At the end of the day, we owe it to every single child in our state to give them the strongest start possible to grow up healthy and happy. Help us move North Carolina closer to making that reality by adding your comment today.

As someone who cares deeply about the children of our state, I’m writing today in support of the proposed rule that would require testing once every three years for lead in water used for drinking and food prep at licensed child care centers as well as requiring clean up if lead is detected. I was shocked and saddened to learn that North Carolina does not already require such testing, especially since the impacts of lead exposure are lifelong and irreversible. We know that there are no safe levels of exposure to lead and that babies and young children are at heightened risk because their brains and organs are still developing. When a child is exposed to lead, it directly enters the blood stream, where it can harm the developing brain, organs, muscles and bones. Formula-fed babies are at particular risk if the water used to prepare their formula is tainted with lead because they receive a more concentrated exposure. Unfortunately, recent research has shown that lead is not uncommon in drinking water at child care centers in our state. The good news is that it has also shown that sampling and remediation are straight-forward, cost-effective solutions. When lead exposure can reduce IQ, harm children’s ability to concentrate and focus in school, and have lifelong negative impacts on a child’s education, health outcomes, and earning potential, we must act. Lead exposure is entirely preventable, and this rule is one important step towards reducing exposure for our state’s most vulnerable children. I urge you to approve it today.

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