Fort Worth Program Keeping Kids Safe From Lead
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - There's a danger lurking in some North Texas homes, hiding in plain sight and targeting children. Now the City of Fort Worth is stepping in to help and educate.
Peeling paint and old windows may be putting your family at risk for lead poisoning. Now the Lead-Safe Program (LSP) is working to create a safe environment for Fort Worth residents. The program helps residents, who meet income requirements, protect children (under age six) from lead in places where they live or spend an extended amount of time.
Kent Keith, with Green Tag Inspection, explained why it's important to have an expert do the removal work. "Grinding and sanding the paint, that's the biggest hazard… you just don't want the particles to become airborne. For someone to step in and make sure that the home is as safe as it can be is certainly a great thing."
Through LSP eligible residents living in homes across the city can get help reducing lead-based paint hazards. Some of the free services include:
- Lead-based paint inspections and risk assessments
- Testing of children under the age of six for lead poisoning
- Interior and/or exterior painting
- Replacement of hazardous lead-contaminated doors, windows, and siding if necessary
To qualify for Lead-Safe Program assistance you must own the home you live in and it must have been built before 1978. Applicants must also have a child, 5-years-old or younger, that lives at the home or spends an extended amount of time at the home. The applicant's household income must also be at or below 80-percent of the area medium income.
As it stands, the city of Fort Worth has identified six zip codes that are most at risk for having lead hazards, they are:
- 76104
- 76105
- 76106
- 76110
- 76111
- 76164
Click here for more information on the Fort Worth Lead-Safe Program or to apply for assistance.
