Cleveland Expands Critical Lead Remediation Efforts with Pioneering Child Care Initiative

CLEVELAND, OH – In a pioneering move, Cleveland has deepened its commitment to catalyze efforts that shield young children from the irreversible damage of lead poisoning in homes and child care centers.

Collaborating with community partners, the City of Cleveland uses evidence-based solutions and advocates for policies that secure a future where children can thrive, unencumbered by the debilitating effects of lead exposure.

Lead poisoning poses a significant threat to children under six, with Cleveland's children bearing the brunt of this crisis at a rate four times the national average. The city’s aging housing stock – with nearly 90% of homes built before the 1978 lead-based paint ban – is a significant contributor to this heightened risk.

David Margolius, M.D., Director of Public Health, City of Cleveland, underscores the urgency of the situation, stating, "With nearly 1,500 children being poisoned every year, prevention is the only cure. We must act now to protect our future generations."

Lead exposure, even in the smallest amounts, is harmful. Children often ingest lead through paint chips or dust near windows and floorboards. The neurotoxin wreaks havoc on the brain and nervous system, impeding growth and development, and causing learning and behavioral issues. The irreversible nature of lead poisoning underscores the critical need for early screening and prevention.

In 2019, the city joined hands with local organizations to form the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition, a robust network of over 500 members across 150 organizations, including families impacted by lead. The coalition successfully advocated for the Lead Safe ordinance, mandating all rental properties built before 1978 to be certified as lead safe. Cleveland Clinic pledged $52.5 million to support the coalition's efforts.

Building on this momentum, the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic, Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition, and Starting Point collaborated in 2024 to create a national model to combat lead poisoning in early childhood settings. The Lead Safe Child Care pilot program offers vital resources and construction assistance to remediate harmful lead hazards from a test group of child care centers and home-based providers.

To date, the pilot has supported remediation efforts at four licensed child care sites, creating healthier conditions for 144 youth. Fifteen more projects are underway, with a total of 30 set for completion by the end of 2025. Once finished, the initiative will protect 703 children from lead exposure – an important step in Cleveland’s mission to provide every child a safe place to grow and prosper.

Ayonna Blue Donald, Vice President, Ohio Market, Enterprise Community Partners and Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition Steering Committee Member, emphasized the unified action in protecting Cleveland’s children and the importance of expanding from homes to early childhood settings. “Cleveland children deserve to attend child care in a lead-safe space. We believe it’s important to work together to protect children from the hazards of lead in all places they can be exposed, not just in their homes,” she said. “This pilot program is an important first step in helping Cleveland children grow up in healthy spaces, and we are grateful to Starting Point, Cleveland Clinic, and the City of Cleveland for their partnership to make this happen.”

The community partners recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood to celebrate Lily Diaz Child Care as one of the first providers to achieve lead-safe clearance through the program. As part of the initiative, participating providers receive grants and free services, including support from EPA-certified experts to identify and eliminate lead hazards. The program also offers business assistance and lead screenings for children enrolled in the child care centers.

Nancy Mendez, President & CEO of Starting Point, commended Diaz's achievement and the pilot's role in creating a lead-safe environment for children. “For 35 years, Starting Point has been a trusted partner to the child care community – offering support, training, and resources to help providers deliver safe, high-quality care. When the opportunity arose to tackle Cleveland’s lead crisis head-on, we knew we had to act. We saw what others hadn’t yet considered: that making child care spaces lead safe is not just possible, but essential. Thanks to incredible partners, this pilot proves what’s achievable when public health and early childhood come together to protect our region’s youngest learners.”

This initiative marks the first time a health system has directly invested in making home and center-based child care lead safe.

Vickie Johnson, Executive Vice-President/Chief Community Officer at Cleveland Clinic, stated, “At Cleveland Clinic, we believe that a child’s health begins in their homes, their child care centers, and in their neighborhoods. That’s why we’re proud to support the Lead Safe Child Care pilot and celebrate this important milestone for the health of our communities.”

“This program is a testament to what is possible when community partners unite to protect our youngest residents,” Johnson added. “Our goal is to save hundreds of children from being lead poisoned.”

For more information on the pilot program and how to get involved, visit www.leadsafecle.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Alana D. Wyche, Cleveland Clinic, wychea@ccf.org, 216.346.0363

Savannah Cater, Starting Point, savannah.cater@starting-point.org, 440.281.3934

Hazel G. Remesch, Esq., Enterprise Community Partners, hremesch@enterprisecommunity.org, 216.325.6573