Coalition To End Childhood Lead Poisoning

Mission: The Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning is committed to the creation of resources, programs, and policies to prevent childhood lead poisoning and home-based environmental health hazards. We work in collaboration with families, community organizations, educators, government agencies, insurers, property owners, and health care providers to construct real, attainable and cost-effective means to create lead-safe and healthy homes. The Coalition is dedicated to the primary prevention of childhood lead poisoning and the creation of healthy home environments that eradicate environmental and social injustices and result in healthier children, better school performance, the revitalization of our housing stock and more productive communities.

Vision: To end childhood lead poisoning and create Healthy Homes so that every child may grow up to reach his or her full potential.

Description:
Services
The Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning works through a variety of avenues including family advocacy, legal services, outreach and education, policy and legislation, lead hazard reduction, and technical assistance, towards its goal of eliminating childhood lead poisoning. Our services include the following:

Family Advocacy:
Case managers assist families dealing with lead poisoning in navigating the medical system, learning more about lead and lead poisoning, obtaining relocation grants to cover moving expenses and relocating to lead-safe housing. Additionally, case managers provide counseling and education to families about Qualified Offers.

Lead Hazard Reduction:
The Coalition’s lead hazard reduction crew is comprised of Maryland certified lead safe workers and supervisors. These services may include window replacement, paint stabilization and emergency cleans. Most lead hazard reduction services are free of charge for families with small children or pregnant women meeting income eligibility requirements.

Coming Soon: In the fall of 2006, the Coalition will launch a new branch of lead hazard services, providing market-rate, lead-certified contractor services.

Legal Services:
The Legal Services team deals largely with tenant-landlord housing issues throughout Maryland in properties built before 1950.

Renters can obtain assistance with rent court representation, filing a notice of defect, rent escrow and education on tenant’s rights under the Maryland laws.
Property owners can obtain education and assistance to bring their properties into compliance with the Maryland lead laws.
Education & Outreach:
The Education & Outreach department provides outreach and education services throughout Maryland. Working to educate families and raise awareness of primary prevention measures, the department offers trainings for specific audiences such as parents, childcare providers, and nurses while promoting awareness through media and various community events, fairs and festivals.

Policy & Legislation:
Innovative policy and legislation is an integral part of a successful approach to lead poisoning prevention. Consequently, the Coalition takes an active role in developing and pushing key ideas that advance the lead poisoning prevention agenda at the federal, state and city levels.

Technical Assistance:
The Coalition’s Technical Assistance program assists other cities, states and programs by advising and developing comprehensive lead elimination plans for cities, regions or states. We also provide assistance writing Federal grants and developing educational materials.

The Coalition currently provides Technical Assistance to:

St. Louis
Miami
Washington, DC
Delaware

History:
History
The Coalition was founded in 1986 as Parents Against Lead by the Middle East Community Organization, the Southeast Community Organization and child health and housing advocates. Today, the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning (the “Coalition”) is the recognized leader on the issues of lead poisoning prevention and healthy homes in Maryland, and widely considered to be one of the most successful organizations of its kind in the nation. The Coalition’s practical, methodical, yet inspired work has systematically altered the landscape of lead poisoning in Maryland by bringing new strategies, creative resources, and reliable leadership in lead affected communities to bear on this entirely preventable disease. The Coalition has a long history of working in partnership with communities, neighborhood-bases organizations, umbrella organizations, health care providers, tenants, and owners (both rental and owner-occupied) to forge partnerships that produce solutions.

The Coalition is credited as having a leading role in helping to achieve a 90% reduction in annual cases of lead poisoning (over 20ug/dL) and cases of elevated lead levels (over 10ug/dL) since 1994 in Baltimore and throughout the State. One of the Coalition’s strength’s is the organizations ability to identify the need for a policy change or resources, and then to create the program, the financial support or the political will to address those needs.

Examples of our work history:
1993 Coalition Founded
1994 Coalition creates Maryland Lead Poisoning Prevention Partnership
1994 Coalition instrumental in passing Lead Risk Reduction in Housing Law; the first law mandating lead treatment by owners of rental homes.
1995 Coalition created first Lead Safe Housing Registry to help make families make smart housing choices
1996 Coalition begins HEPA-vacuum load program
1997 Created statewide legislation requiring all children attending pre-school have proof they we screened for lead
1998 Coalition chaired Enforcement Task Force to enforce Health Department Lead Violations
2000 Coalition leads effort in universally testing 1 and 2 year olds in all risk areas of Maryland
2000 Coalition pushes Maryland legislation to spend $50 million over three years to promote leads safe, healthy homes
2001 Executive Director co-chairs committee resulting in the acquisition of 15 relocation units to be utilized by occupants
2003 Coalition gets State to name Lead Poisoning Prevention one of the top priorities for the Departments of Environment and Health.
2003 Coalition helps pass legislation with paint retailers requiring they clearly post information on lead safe practices
2004 Coalition and Baltimore City pass legislation that all Section 8 units must comply with the Maryland Lead Risk Reduction in Housing Law
2004 Coalition assisted in the development of lead-safe deconstruction and demolition standards for the East Baltimore Development, Inc which later served as a national model for all urban demolition
2005 Coalition holds Summit for 2010, a community driven strategic event for how Baltimore, Maryland and the Nation can achieve the goal of eliminating childhood lead poisoning by 2010

Contact person: Sarah Keogh, Director Of Family Advocacy Services, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (410) 534-6475

Address:

2714 Hudson Street Baltimore, MD 21224 (See a map)

Miscellaneous Information

Governmental Agency?
	No