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Parents’ Platform to End Lead Poisoning

The 2021 Lead Impacted Families Together (LIFT) cohort was made up of a diverse group of people from across the state of Michigan. LIFT participants had a family member who has been lead poisoned, live with someone who has been lead poisoned, are concerned about lead poisoning in their community, and/or have been lead poisoned themselves.

Participants – including parents of lead poisoned children, health professionals, and local advocates – are passionate about creating better policies for a safe and healthy community. The group partakes in monthly training sessions to develop a deeper understanding of lead poisoning and how to foster change in their communities.

Through these sessions, the group developed the Parents’ Platform to End Lead Poisoning.

In their continued efforts to create safer communities, LIFT participants are advocating for the following policies to help end childhood lead poisoning in Michigan:

  • Require that homes are tested for lead prior to sale or transfer of lease, and lead hazards are abated if found;
  • Require universal blood lead testing for ALL Michigan children aged 1 and 2;
  • Ensure sustainable funding for lead poisoning prevention and lead abatement programs; and
  • Have the state of Michigan assume responsibility for the federal Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule enforcement, which requires contractors to have a lead-safe certification to do work on pre-1978 homes.