Child Care of the Berkshires - CLPPP

11/12/2025

Curious about lead safety?

Holyoke has an educational event coming up!

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Protect-Your-Children-from-Lead-Exposure---Join-Us-for-a-Free-Community-Event-.html?soid=1102009602968&aid=qdl0Nf6Zi0A

Be aware, and stay safe out there!

Email from Public Health Institute of Western MA Children are welcome, activities will be provided & light refreshments will be served. Are you having trouble viewing this email? View as webpage You'r

10/24/2025

Short-term steps for safety
Waiting for home deleading? There are some simple steps you can take to help keep kids safe. Learn
more: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/learn-about-short-term-habits-to-keep-your-child-safe-from-
lead

10/24/2025

Exposure to lead in and around the home is a major cause of lead poisoning in children. Get your
home inspected and be sure that all lead is removed or contained. Learn more about preventing
childhood lead poisoning: https://matracking.ehs.state.ma.us/Health-
Data/Childhood_Blood_Lead_Levels.html

10/23/2025

Fact: there is no safe level for lead exposure. Want to know more facts about lead poisoning and how
you can protect yourself and your family? Read on: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/learn-about-
childhood-lead-poisoning

10/23/2025

Lead inspections

Getting a lead inspection is the first step to making your home safe. Even if your home was inspected before, paint may have since fallen out of compliance. Find licensed inspectors:
https://www.mass.gov/finding-and-removing-lead

10/22/2025

Even low levels of lead in children’s blood can cause harm. That’s why it’s so important to track where kids in Massachusetts are most at risk of childhood lead poisoning – so we can focus efforts on
testing, treatment, and prevention. Learn more: https://matracking.ehs.state.ma.us/Health-
Data/Childhood_Blood_Lead_Levels.html

10/22/2025

Lead Safe Homes database

The older a home is, the more likely it has lead paint. Massachusetts has the 4th oldest housing stock
in the country. Use our Lead Safe Homes database to check your home’s history:
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/find-your-homes-lead-history

10/21/2025

Before lead paint was banned, almost 9 out of 10 US preschoolers had harmful levels of lead in their
blood. We’ve come a long way since then! Learn more about how we keep working to eliminate
childhood lead poisoning in Massachusetts: https://matracking.ehs.state.ma.us/Health-
Data/Childhood_Blood_Lead_Levels.html

10/21/2025

Testing children for lead

Most kids with lead poisoning don’t look or act sick—the only way to know is by testing.
Massachusetts requires tests at 9–12 months, ages 2 & 3, and at age 4 in high-risk communities.
Learn more: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/learn-about-childhood-lead-poisoning

10/20/2025

What are lead screening rates in your community?

Visit our Childhood Lead Screening Community
Progress Report website to get the latest data for your city or town. Once the page loads, just click on
your community in the dropdown list on the right:
https://dphanalytics.hhs.mass.gov/ibmcognos/bi/?perspective=authoring&pathRef=.public_folders%2FMEPHTN%2Fhealth%2Flead-
poisoning%2FLead_Screening_Progress_Report&id=i26CF04D4E0E44635BC2687F347649F26&clo
seWindowOnLastView=true&ui_appbar=false&ui_navbar=false&objRef=i26CF04D4E0E44635BC268
7F347649F26&action=run&format=PDF&cmPropStr=%7B%22id%22%3A%22i26CF04D4E0E44635
BC2687F347649F26%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22report%22%2C%22defaultName%22%3A%22L
ead_Screening_Progress_Report%22%2C%22permissions%22%3A%5B%22execute%22%2C%22r
ead%22%2C%22traverse%22%5D%7D

10/20/2025

Lead paint in older homes

Most lead poisoning in MA comes from lead paint and dust found in homes built before 1978. Lead
can slow children’s growth, affect learning, and cause hearing/speech problems. Learn more:
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/learn-about-childhood-lead-poisoning

10/16/2025

Another update on cinnamon products contaminated with lead:

https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/more-ground-cinnamon-products-added-fda-public-health-alert-due-presence-elevated-levels-lead

Be aware, and stay safe out there!

The FDA is advising consumers to throw away and not to buy the ground cinnamon products because samples of products listed in the table were found to contain elevated levels of lead.