Child Care Centers

1. Wash toys often

Young children often put their toys in their mouth while playing. Washing toys often can remove lead residue from the outside of toys and prevent children from accidentally ingesting it while they are playing. Old and antique toys are common source of lead exposure, so it may be best to keep those toys away from young children altogether.

2. Make sure all children wash their hands before eating

Washing hands well before eating all snacks and meals will prevent children from ingesting any lead they may have gotten on their hands while playing outside or while crawling on their hands and knees. The CDC has some excellent graphics and posters to encourage good hand washing hygiene. To browse and/or access their materials, visit this page: Handwashing Health Promotion Materials

3. Wipe down counters, tables, and food preparation areas daily

Lead dust can settle on countertops, tables, and food preparation areas. Wiping down these areas daily with a wet cloth can remove lead dust before it gets into food or onto children's hands.

4. Wet wipe and wet mop floors, baseboards, and entryways weekly

Areas with high traffic and friction (such as a door rubbing against the floor or the doorway) can create lead dust and chip away at lead paint, leaving behind small flakes that children may accidentally ingest. Wet wiping and wet mopping these areas weekly can reduce the risk of children coming into contact with any of these possible exposure sources of lead.

1. Show young children how to wash their hands well

Washing their hands well after playing outside and before all meals will prevent the child from ingesting any lead that was on their hands. The CDC has some excellent graphics and posters to encourage good hand washing hygiene. To browse and/or access their materials, visit this page: Handwashing Health Promotion Materials

2. Encourage good nutrition

Young children are rapidly growing and developing. Good nutrition will help them grow healthy and strong and can help prevent the absorption of lead in their body if it is ingested. Young children should have a diet rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin C.

3. Encourage parents to take their children to get a blood lead test at ages 1 & 2

Lead exposure can have harmful, negative impacts on young children even if they do not show any symptoms. In fact, most children will show no signs of lead exposure. The only way to know for sure that they have been exposed to lead is with a blood lead test. Encourage parents to take their children to get a blood lead test at ages 1 & 2.

Our Educational Materials page has many flyers and brochures that you may use to help spread important lead poisoning prevention information to parents and other child care providers. 

1. Check often for chipping and peeling paint

If you discover any chipping and peeling paint in your child care facility, make sure it is swiftly and safely repaired. Chipping and peeling lead based paint is one of the primary sources of lead exposure in young children.

2. Move cribs and furniture away from any possible sources of lead

By moving cribs and other furniture away from areas of possible lead exposure, you reduce the risk of young children inhaling or ingesting lead. These areas may include widow sills, baseboards, or walls with chipping and peeling paint and areas of high traffic where lead may have been brought into the building from soil on shoes.

3. Have your water tested for lead

In the meantime, flush pipes for 30 seconds before using water, and use only cold water for cooking and drinking. Avoid using hot water from the tap to mix infant formula. Hot water is more corrosive to pipes containing lead. Lead service lines were banned in 1986 but many still remain underground, providing water to older buildings and homes.

4. Have the paint and soil in and around your facility tested for lead by a certified lead inspector

You can test for lead in your home using an EPA-certified lead inspector.  A professional is likely to be more thorough than doing it yourself.

More coming soon!

• For lead poisoning prevention educational materials to give to parents, please visit our educational materials webpage.
• Children's Environmental Health Network - Eco Healthy Child Care Checklist
  • • Eco-Healthy Child Care® endorses facilities that comply with a number of best practices from their Eco Healthy Child Care Checklist linked above
• National Center for Healthy Housing - Things We Do to Protect Children From Lead Checklist
• Child Care Lead Poisoning Prevention VDH Brochure