The Germantown Health Center operates The Childhood Lead Prevention and Environmental Case Management Program, which provides home-based case management services to families of children with blood lead levels above 3.5mcg/dL and/or children with a diagnosis of moderate to severe asthma. In Healthy Homes for Healthy Kids environmental hazards are addressed related to lead exposure in residential properties where eligible children are living or spending 10 or more hours each week. If lead is identified in the eligible property, the program offers lead abatement services to the family through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Environmental Case Management program provides environmental case management and in-home education programs with the aim of reducing the impact of lead poisoning and asthma on low-income children. The program helps mitigate the negative effects of lead poisoning by connecting the family to resources for lead abatement, education, and practicing lead-safe cleaning. It also encourages follow-up blood lead testing to ensure the child?s levels decrease over time. Families are educated on asthma, focusing on specific asthma symptoms and triggers in the home, medication management, and remediation. The program offers additional education and outreach to schools, child facilities, landlords, residents, and the medical community about lead poisoning and asthma. It also monitors incidences of childhood lead poisoning and environmental lead hazards in the community; and provides promotion of lead-safe environments for children in Montgomery County. The only way to know if a child has lead poisoning is to have them tested. Children can be tested through a primary physician or at a community clinic.

For prevention educational materials; or to learn how often to have a child tested; or if a child has an abnormal lead level, contact the Germantown Health Center: 240.777.3380.