LEAD EDUCATION & TESTING
Prevention & Support for Building Lead-Safe Communities
What to Know First
Lead exposure is harmful to children, and no level is considered safe.
Even small amounts can affect a child’s developing brain — impacting learning, attention, and long-term success in school. Although blood lead testing is required for children enrolled in Medicaid, many families are never tested and may not realize their child has been exposed. Awareness and early testing are key to prevention.
The Urban League provides free lead education workshops, lead-safe household supplies, and connections to blood lead testing resources — helping families reduce risk, protect their children’s health, and support lifelong learning!
Get Involved
Join Our Next FREE Lead Education Workshop!
96% of participants strongly agreed that they could explain how lead affects a child’s health after participating in our workshop!
The Urban League also offers free lead education workshops for families to learn more about the harmful effects of lead exposure, how to minimize their risks, and receive lead-free household items. Workshops are held both in-person and virtually.
If you are interested in attending our next workshop, please fill out the interest form linked to the blue button!
The Basics About Lead
Lead is a naturally occurring & common metal that can harm the body, especially in young children, when inhaled or eaten.
The most common source of exposure is lead-based paint in homes built before 1978. As this paint ages, it can chip or turn into dust that children may inhale or ingest when it settles on hands, toys, and other everyday surfaces.
Lead can also be found in:
- Air
- Bullets & batteries (including car batteries & radiators)
- Certain pottery & dishes (especially ceramics with glaze)
- Contaminated soil
- Drinking water
- Dust
- Household plumbing pipes
- Older toys & jewelry
- Spices & spiced candies (like turmeric, chili powder, paprika, tamarind, etc.)
- Some imported cosmetics
- Vinyl products (including mini-blinds & toys)
— making everyday awareness an important first step in prevention!
Lead exposure doesn’t only happen in the home — it can also be brought in from outside environments. People who work around lead may unknowingly carry it home on their clothes, shoes, skin, or hair, exposing others in the household.
Common sources of lead exposure include:
- Work environments, such as:
- Construction and demolition
- Home improvement, painting, and refinishing
- Plumbing, welding, and metal work
- Car or radiator repair
- Electronics and manufacturing (batteries, plastics, rubber)
- Scrap metal and waste incineration
- Hobbies and activities, including:
- Pottery and stained glass work
- Furniture refinishing
- Making fishing weights (sinkers) or bullets
Lead cannot be detected by smell or taste; it must be tested in a laboratory.
Awareness & Prevention
Early lead exposure can be difficult to detect, but early action makes a lasting difference.
Understanding the signs, knowing who should be tested, and accessing simple screening can help protect your child’s health and development.
Children younger than six years old are more likely to get lead poisoned than any other age group — as their brains and bodies are still developing.
Most often, children get lead poisoning from breathing in or swallowing dust from old lead paint and toys.
Lead poisoning often does not show obvious symptoms. Other times, the symptoms of lead poisoning won’t appear right away. When they do occur, the symptoms may develop over several weeks or months.
Many children with elevated lead levels appear healthy, which is why testing is the only reliable way to know if exposure has occurred.
The Urban League offers free blood lead level testing through a partnership with the University of Washington.
These quick, simple tests can help identify exposure early and connect families to the care and resources they need — supporting children’s health, learning, and long-term success.
Children may qualify for free testing if they are:
- Between 0–6 years old
- Enrolled in Medicaid