The Lead Contamination Control Act of 1988 authorized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to initiate program efforts to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in the United States. As a result of this Act, the CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch was created, with primary responsibility to:

• Develop programs and policies to prevent childhood lead poisoning.

• Educate the public and health-care providers about childhood lead poisoning.

• Provide funding to state and local health departments to determine the extent of childhood lead poisoning by screening children for elevated blood lead levels, helping to ensure that lead-poisoned infants and children receive medical and environmental follow-up, and developing neighborhood-based efforts to prevent childhood lead poisoning.

• Support research to determine the effectiveness of prevention efforts at federal, state, and local levels.

One of the goals of Healthy People 2010 is the elimination of childhood lead poisoning as a public health problem. 

CDC, HUD, EPA, and other agencies have developed a federal interagency strategy to achieve this goal by 2010. The key elements of this interagency strategy include:

1. Identification and control of lead paint hazards;

2. Identification and care for children with elevated blood lead levels;

3. Surveillance of elevated blood lead levels in children to monitor progress; and

4. Research to further improve childhood lead poisoning prevention methods.

Eliminating Childhood Lead Poisoning: A Federal Strategy Targeting Lead Paint Hazards

Consistent with the interagency strategy, CDC developed the following objectives

• Increase the proportion of Medicaid-enrolled children screened for lead

• Ensure appropriate management of children with elevated blood lead levels

• Expand initiatives to educate public health professionals, parents of at-risk children, and the public about lead poisoning

• Support innovative approaches to identify children at risk for lead exposure and ensure their housing is lead-safe before children are exposed

• Improve the state-based blood lead surveillance system to determine populations at risk and direct intervention efforts

• Conduct research on innovative methods to identify and reach children at risk for lead poisoning

• Provide international leadership in lead poisoning prevention

CDC provides funding to state and local health departments to do the following:

• Develop childhood lead poisoning elimination plans

• Develop screening plans to target resources to those children at highest risk for lead poisoning

• Develop surveillance systems to monitor childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts

• Increase primary prevention activities among pregnant women and those families with children at high risk for lead poisoning

• Ensure timely and appropriate case management of children with elevated blood lead levels

• Develop strategic partnerships with organizations and agencies involved in environmental and child health activities

• Coordinate with organizations and agencies involved in lead-based paint hazard reduction activities and development of protective policy

• Evaluate programmatic impact on childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts

Funded programs are expected to serve as catalysts and models for the development of non-funded programs and activities in other states and communities. Further, funded programs should create community awareness of the adverse health effects associated with childhood lead poisoning (e.g., among community and business leaders, the medical community, parents, educators, and property owners).

Health departments are expected to work with interagency and community-based organizations that support the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program’s agenda.  These organizations may represent the interests of public health, the medical community, housing owners and organizations, business, labor, parents, and residents of the community. The organizations may include, but are not limited to, neighborhood groups, churches, fraternal organizations, civic organizations, local businesses, and financial institutions that have a vested interest in the viability of the community. Community organizations should be encouraged and supported in their efforts to help with program components such as follow-up, education, and hazard remediation.

In 2003, CDC awarded $31.7 million to 42 state and local health departments to develop and implement comprehensive lead poisoning prevention efforts. To contact a childhood lead poisoning prevention program (CLPPP) in your area please visit CLPP Programs.

• CDC Procurement and Grants Office (PGO) - PGO is responsible for the administration of federal procurements and grants.  This site contains information about grant and cooperative agreement funding opportunities throughout CDC.
• CDC Grants Forms – This site contains links to on-line forms.
• Federal Register- 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999 – The link to the Federal Register.  All federal cooperative agreements are first published in the Federal Register.

Project Officers

CDC Project Officers provide assistance to all funded Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs (CLPPP) on the design, development, management, and evaluation of their lead poisoning prevention programs. To contact the Project Officer for your CLPPP, please call (770) 488-3300.

Mailing address for all Project Officers:

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4770 Buford Highway (Mail stop F-40)
Atlanta, GA 30341

CDC Surveillance Technical Officers provide assistance to all funded CLPPPs on the design, development, management, and evaluation of their surveillance systems. Additionally, they provide epidemiologic expertise in lead poisoning prevention applied research and interventions. To contact the Surveillance Technical Officer for your CLPPP, please call (770) 488-3300.

Mailing address for all Technical Officers:

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4770 Buford Highway (Mail stop F-40)
Atlanta, GA 30341