Making Lancaster County a healthier place for all
Lancaster County has one of the highest rates of elevated blood lead levels in Pennsylvania, making lead exposure and poisoning a significant health issue for children in our communities. That’s why Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health has launched Lead-Free Families — a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive program aimed at creating a strong pathway to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in Lancaster County.
It is estimated that some 91,000 homes in Lancaster County have lead hazards, often from lead-based paint. Lead-Free Families has set a goal of identifying and remediating lead hazards in at least 2,800 Lancaster County homes over the next 10 years, while also providing community education and support services for families.
With a $50 million initial investment by Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Lead-Free Families is the first such program in the United States to be 100-percent funded and led by a health system — part of our commitment to making our community a healthier place for all.
Our team also manages the Healthy Homes Program, a federally funded initiative that addresses many environment-related diseases and injuries in a coordinated way. The program focuses on concerns including mold, lead, allergens, asthma, carbon monoxide, home safety, pesticides, and radon.
Apply today
To find out if your family is being exposed to lead in your home, apply to the Lead-Free Families program by filling out our application below.
Once eligibility has been established, Lead-Free Families will conduct a lead risk assessment at the home. To qualify for remediation, the risk assessment must find that the home contains lead-based paint hazards.
Contact us
If you are concerned about lead exposure or home health and safety hazards, our team is here to help.
Phone: 717-544-5323
Email: Info@leadfreefamilies.org
What does Lead-Free Families do?
The Lead-Free Families program offers the following services across Lancaster County*:
- Lead screening
- In-home lead testing and remediation
- Healthcare and social service support
- Community education and outreach
- Public policy advocacy and education
*In the City of Lancaster, Lead-Free Families works collaboratively with the Lead-Safe Lancaster program to identify and remediate lead hazards in Lancaster City homes and provide support services and education.
Why focus on home-based lead hazards?
We are focused on removing lead hazards from homes, because the home is by far the place where most lead exposures occur. In addition, many of these homes have young children (age six and younger) or pregnant women living in them — and they are at the greatest risk of lead poisoning.
Lead can be in paint, plumbing and soil. But most lead exposure comes from peeling and chipping paint. Lead is most commonly found in homes built before 1978, when the federal government banned consumer uses of lead-based paint.
Lancaster County has a large number of homes built before 1978, and it is estimated that 45 percent of households have a child under the age of six or a pregnant woman living there. This makes our community’s risks much greater.
How do I know if I am eligible for this program?
To be eligible for the Lead-Free Families program, the following criteria must be met:
- Home must have been built before 1978
- Home must be within Lancaster County
- At least one child under the age of 6 must live in home or visit; or a pregnant woman living in home
Additionally, a family's household income must be no more than 400% of the current Federal Poverty Level (2025 numbers):
| Total household members | Healthy Homes income limit (80% of median family income) | Lead-Free Families income limit (400% federal poverty level) |
| 1 person | 58,200 | $63,840 |
| 2 people | $66,500 | $86,560 |
| 3 people | $74,800 | $109,280 |
| 4 people | $83,100 | $132,000 |
| 5 people | $89,750 | $154,720 |
| 6 people | $96,400 | $177,440 |
| 7 people | $103,050 | $200,160 |
| 8 people | $109,700 | $222,880 |
About lead poisoning
Read our FAQs below to learn more about the risks and effects of lead poisoning.
Lead poisoning is a serious and chronic health condition that is 100-percent preventable but still affects far too many of our friends and neighbors. It is caused by exposure to lead in the environment—including what people eat, drink touch and breath. Lead can affect almost every organ and system in the human body. There is no cure for lead poisoning. Children age 6 and younger, as well as pregnant women, are at the highest risk of lead poisoning, because young children’s bodies and brains are still developing.
Even low levels of lead in the blood of children can result in the following health and developmental issues:
- Behavior and learning problems
- Lower IQ and Hyperactivity
- Slowed growth
- Hearing problems
- Anemia
In rare cases, ingestion of lead can cause seizures, coma and even death.
In adults—and especially in pregnant women—lead can accumulate in the body over time, where it is stored in bones along with calcium. During pregnancy, lead is released from the mother's bones along with calcium and can pass from the mother, exposing the fetus or the breastfeeding infant to lead. This can result in serious effects to the developing fetus and infant, including:
- Premature birth or low birth weight
- Damage to the brain, kidneys and/or nervous system
- Increased risk of developmental, learning and behavioral problems
Increased risk of miscarriage
A blood lead test is the most common way to find out if you or your child have been exposed to lead.
Most children with detectable levels of lead in their blood have no obvious symptoms. Every child should be tested between nine months and three years old.
The best way to prevent lead exposure and poisoning is to have your home checked for lead hazards.
Finding and safely removing sources of lead from the home is needed to prevent further exposure. If your child spends a lot of time somewhere other than their home, like a grandparent’s home or daycare, it is important to know when that building was constructed. Homes and other buildings constructed prior to 1978 should be assumed to have lead-based paint, unless a test shows otherwise.
Here are some resources and tips to help keep your home safe:
- American Academy of Pediatrics: 9 steps to keep your home lead safe
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Lower your chances of exposure to lead