DCA, DHS, LPS, DHSS, DCF and Public Advocate Kick Off Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week - More Information

DCA Honors the HUD Lead Interventions for Children-at Risk Grantees

Commissioner Joseph Doria, right, presents East Orange Mayor Robert L. Bowser with an Outstanding Achievement Award at the Lead Interventions for Children-at-Risk recognition luncheon on September 29, 2008.

Leann Howell accepts an Outstanding Achievement Award from Commissioner Doria for Isles, Inc.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), Division of Housing and Community Resources, has successfully concluded its five year HUD Lead Interventions for Children-at-Risk (HUD LICAR) grant program. The grantees were honored by DCA Commissioner Joseph Doria at a recognition luncheon held on September 29, 2008.

The HUD LICAR Program strategy, through partnerships with municipalities, local boards of health and community based organizations, focuses resources from multiple sources. These financial resources are utilized to fund efforts which can be divided into two basic strategies or approaches: primary prevention efforts which include any effort to prevent lead-based paint poisoning; and responsive efforts to abate lead hazards in residences where children have been lead poisoned.

The municipalities and organizations and in what capacity they participated in the program are:

• Camden County Health Department – Training, Outreach & Education
• East Orange – Lead Hazard Control, Training, Screening, Outreach & Education
• Elizabeth – Lead Hazard Control, Training, Screening, Outreach & Education
• Gateway Northwest Maternal and Child Health Network, Inc. – Screening, Outreach & Education
• Irvington – Lead Hazard Control Costs, Training, Screening, Outreach & Education
• Isles, Inc. (Trenton) – Lead Hazard Control Work
• Jersey City – Training, Outreach & Education
• Monmouth County Health Department– Training, Screening, Outreach & Education
• New Brunswick – Lead Hazard Control Work, Training, Outreach & Education
• Northern New Jersey Maternal/Child Health Consortium, Inc. – Training, Screening, Outreach & Education
• Orange City – Training, Outreach & Education
• Passaic – Lead Hazard Control Work, Training, Outreach & Education
• Paterson – Lead Hazard Control Work, Training, Screening, Outreach & Education
• Perth Amboy – Training, Screening, Outreach & Education
• Vineland – Lead Hazard Control Work

The City of East Orange and Isles, Inc. received Outstanding Achievement Awards for their significant contributions to the HUD LICAR program.

The HUD LICAR program was funded through a $3,000,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. Through the LICAR program, 246 dwelling units have had lead hazards controlled and over 1530 New Jersey citizens attended related training and education program.

The Leadsafe NJ Program is a collection of public education, outreach and training initiatives made possible through funding by the State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs as authorized by the Lead Hazard Control Assistance Act.

In addition to educating the general public on the dangers of lead-based paint and the ways that New Jersey families can learn to live safely with lead-based paint in their homes, the Act also requires DCA develop a comprehensive program to identify lead hazards in residential housing and also identify housing which is safe from exposure to lead hazards in order to eradicate the major source of lead exposure to our State’s children.

One of the Leadsafe NJ initiatives is the Leadsafe NJ website. The goal of the website is to provide a one-stop site for the New Jersey public when they are seeking information about childhood lead poisoning, lead poisoning prevention, lead-based paint in housing and other lead related issues.