On Thursday, Wake County mailed notices to about 70 families whose children may have been exposed to unsafe levels of lead dust at two downtown Raleigh facilities that serve children – Beginnings and Beyond Child Development Center and Sacred Heart Cathedral School.
Lead poisoning can cause learning difficulties, behavioral problems, and other adverse health consequences.
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A simple blood test can determine whether a child has been exposed to lead. The notices mailed to parents recommend scheduling an appointment with a primary care physician or the Wake County Human Service’s children’s clinic.
As families get blood testing for children, they were urged to maintain social distancing and take other steps to prevent exposure to COVID-19. Wake County has implemented policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at its clinics, including closing nonessential services to reduce visits.
Officials said the findings of lead dust would not require the facilities to close, but each location has already closed voluntarily due to COVID-19. Inspectors test for lead dust by collecting samples with wet wipes and sending them to the N.C. State Laboratory of Public Health for analysis.
Wake County has notified the operators of each facility and provided guidance for cleaning up the dust. Sacred Heart Cathedral School has already completed cleaning, and more recent tests show lead levels have been reduced to meet the standards enforced in North Carolina.