Released: May 15, 2023
Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor was excited to join Joanna McClinton, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Philip Welsh, Director of the Delaware County Office of Housing and Community Development, and leaders of the Delaware County Lead Prevention Coalition today at a press conference to receive an allocation of $150,000 dollars — dispersed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health — to the Office of Housing and Community Development’s Lead Hazard Reduction Program. This investment will go directly toward the continuation of vital lead remediation efforts.
“Every year, nearly 250 kids in Delaware County are diagnosed with lead poisoning — what’s worse is that these poisonings are preventable,” said Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Phila/Delaware. “I’m so proud that we were able to secure this funding to continue remediation efforts that will improve the lives of our children, families, and communities.”
More than four decades after lead paint was banned in the United States, lead poisoning still robs nearly 8,000 Pennsylvania children of their future by causing irreversible brain damage — and there are not nearly enough resources to help suffering families.
“The best way to protect children from lead poisoning is by removing lead from the home,” said Delaware County Chair Dr. Monica Taylor. “This new funding will allow Delaware County to immediately expand our ongoing remediation efforts.”
“Our Pennsylvania children are still being lead paint poisoned every year — robbing them of their intellect causing brain damage and behavioral and learning problems,” said Rosemarie Halt, Interim Health Policy Director at Children First on behalf of the Lead-Free Promise Project. “By investing in lead paint remediation now, we are not only keeping our kids healthy, but will also save Pennsylvania money in the long-term and reap the benefits.
“We thank the Speaker for her leadership and look forward to continuing our work with the General Assembly to finally get the lead out of all Pennsylvania homes and stop poisoning our children.”
Recently, East Lansdowne and the City of Chester passed lead safety ordinances, a step in the right direction toward the goal of zero poisoned children in Delaware County. Investments at the county level — like the one announced today — work to move the needle in the continued effort to, once and for all, combat this 100% preventable issue.
The Lead-Free Promise Project launched its over 60-organization coalition in 2020 vowing to remove lead paint-based hazards from homes and ensuring all children are screened for lead poisoning as part of a comprehensive wellness exam. Learn more on Lead-Free Promise Project website, linked below.