Addressing Lead in ECE Settings

This collection of resources and tools, developed across the federal government, can be used to learn about the impact of lead on young children, as well as strategies to address lead in ECE programs.

Lead Poisoning Prevention — Why Does it Matter?

  • Overview of Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention - These resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discuss the impact of children’s exposure to lead, sources of lead exposure, and steps that can be taken to protect children from lead exposure 

Resources for ECE Providers:

  • 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water (Training, Testing, and Taking Action) to prepare ECE facilities and schools to build a voluntary implementation program to reduce lead levels in drinking water.
  • Dear Colleague Letter Encouraging States to Utilize Federal Resources for Lead Detection and Mitigation in Early Care and Education Settings - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are committed to work with state and local governments to deploy available resources, including infrastructure and federal program funds, and to take steps to identify and remediate the effects of lead on children in early care and education (ECE) settings.
  • The Information Memorandum  highlights the Head Start program's role in reducing childhood lead poisoning. Programs must keep a facility free of pollutants, dangers, and toxins that are accessible to children and could risk their safety — including lead in water and paint. 
  • Watch HHS and EPA leadership urge state leaders to leverage the historic investments in America’s infrastructure made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the American Rescue Plan Act to test for and remediate lead in water in early care and education settings.
  • Head Start Lead Poison Prevention resources — Head Start’s Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) developed and compiled resources to help Head Start programs work with families to prevent exposure to and address lead. 
  • Ensuring Drinking Water Quality in Child Care Facilities During and After Extended Closures  (PDF) — This resource, developed in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides guidance to ECE facilities on maintaining drinking water quality during extended closures, and recommended start-up procedures when reopening to ensure that drinking water is safe for consumption.
  • Lead Screening: Well-Child Health Care Fact Sheet — Developed by Head Start ECLKC to support programs to understand the basis about lead and lead screening.
  • Lead and our children: The Role of Early Care and Education Programs — 2016 webinar developed by Head Start’s National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness, to help programs understand the importance of screening and testing children exposed to lead, find out how to prevent children’s exposure to lead both at home and in the program, and learn screening and prevention strategies to implement.

Resources for Families and Caregivers:

Success Stories:

Funding Sources to Address Lead In Water

This collection of resources and tools, developed across the federal government, can be used to identify strategies and resources to address lead in ECE programs.

Funding Sources

  • Potential Funding Sources for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Facilities   (PDF) (PDF)— A guide developed by EPA to help schools and child care providers identify potential funding sources for lead remediation and water quality-related projects. This guide lists 4 federal programs, 79 state programs, and 115 foundations/companies providing funding opportunities
  • 2023 Lead Pipe Replacement Funding Inventory   (XLSX) (XLSX) — Repository of resources across the federal government that can be used to replace lead service lines.
  • WIIN Grant: Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program - The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program awards funding to states, territories, and tribes to assist local and tribal educational agencies in voluntary testing for lead contamination in drinking water at schools and child care facilities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law enacted in November 2021 changed the grant program to and allowed grant funding for lead remediation in addition to testing.
  • Funding for Lead Service Line Replacement — Information about federal and non-federal funding sources are that are available to assist states, ECE programs, and water utilities with these efforts, including lead service line replacement (LSLR).