DELAWARE – Child advocates are urging the Joint Finance Committee to restore funding for reducing lead poisoning in children after the governor’s proposed budget omitted new state funds for lead paint remediation.
For the first time in three years, no new state funding was allocated to remove lead-based paint in homes where children have tested positive for exposure. Advocates emphasize that this funding is essential to proactively eliminate hazards, particularly in rental housing.
Lead-based paint was banned in 1978, but many older homes still pose risks, disproportionately affecting lower-income families. Senate Bill 9, passed in 2023, aimed to address these dangers, but without continued financial support, advocates warn that children will remain at risk of developmental delays and other long-term health issues.
Groups such as Lead-Free Delaware and Black Mothers of Power stress that state action is needed to protect children from lead exposure, calling for immediate investment in remediation efforts.