Prevent childhood lead poisoning with Lead-Safe Homes Program

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WISS) – This week is National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. Oct. 19 – Oct. 25, 2025, is dedicated to educating people about the dangers of lead poisoning, especially in small, developing children.

“ Lead poisoning does affect children more than adults, particularly children under six years of age, because their brain is developing very quickly. And it can affect their brain and nervous system,” said Jayne Tebon, public health nurse with Winnebago County. “And they are exposed a lot more readily than adults because they do a lot more hand-to-mouth activity and play on the floor and have exposure to lead paint that’s deteriorated.”

Tebon said lead exposure in children can affect brain development and become problematic long after the exposure occurs.

“ So lead poisoning is considered an invisible disease,” she said. “It affects them maybe years down the road when they’re in school and they have trouble focusing, learning, and that’s when maybe you see some signs of the history of lead poisoning.”

Tebon added that some of the danger of lead exposure is invisible to the average person. 

“Lead dust is invisible. You can’t see it. But when old windows, for example, are going up and down, that friction creates lead dust that lands on the windowsill or blows into the floor.” Tebon said. 

Testing for lead exposure should be done at 12 and 24 months of age. Tebon said testing children for lead exposure is as simple as a finger prick. If the primary test shows elevated lead levels, another test will be performed. It can be done with the child’s primary care physician or through the county health department. 

In 2024, Tebon says there were 80 children with elevated lead levels in the county. 

“We have a lot of old properties. We have a lot of rental properties. So sometimes there’s some deterioration that occurs and puts the child at risk,” Tebon said. “But one thing to mention is there’s been more screening happening too, which is a good thing. So we’re catching a lot more children with elevated lead levels.”

Tebon said if lead poisoning is suspected, the Winnebago County Public Health Environmental Health Specialists will help families determine where the lead is in their home and may be able to help with abatement.

Lead-Safe Homes Program

Holly Glassford, an Environmental Health Specialist with Winnebago County Public Health, said anyone with an older home built before 1978 and young children should have a lead risk assessment. 

“ Play it safe and assume that that paint could be lead,” Glassford said. “If it’s deteriorating, if it’s chipping, peeling, cracking, that is when that paint can aerosolize and that can cause lead dust in the home, which is a hazard for young children.”

If the program discovers that lead is present, Glassford said there is help for homeowners to recoup some of the abatement costs.

“ It is definitely an expensive process to go through and remove all of those lead components from your home. Our county currently has a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services called Lead Safe Homes Program. Through the program, we can cover 85 to 100 percent of the cost of renovations to make the home lead-safe,” Glassford said.

The Lead-Safe Homes Program provides funding and support to remove lead paint hazards from homes, specifically those with young children and/or pregnant women. The program is open to qualifying homeowners and rental property owners.

In Winnebago County, the Department of Public Health is holding a presentation on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. to discuss the lead-safe homes programs, who qualifies, how to participate, and how to prevent lead poisoning in children.

The event will be at the David W. Albrecht Administration Building, 4th Floor Training Space, 112 Otter Avenue, Oshkosh. A tour of a current lead abatement project in Oshkosh will follow the presentation.