Lead Outreach Program

Our goal is a lead-free Milwaukee. Sixteenth Street has been protecting children from lead poisoning for over 25 years. Since 1996, the Department has partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Milwaukee Health Department to develop and implement a one-of-a-kind, bilingual community lead outreach program that combines free home-based outreach and testing, education, and follow-up medical care for children with lead poisoning. The clinic also offers pre-natal lead screening for expectant mothers.

• Sixteenth Street lead outreach workers visit more than 500 homes over the course of a season
• Approximately 350 children are tested for lead in the home on a yearly basis
• Approximately 6,400 children are tested for lead across all Sixteenth Street programs and sites yearly

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention

Our staff goes directly out to the community to ensure that every family living on Milwaukee’s near south side is aware of the hazards related to deteriorating lead paint, specifically lead poisoning. We provide free testing for elevated blood lead levels to all children under the age of six, who are especially susceptible to absorbing and retaining lead due to their small size and growing bodies. Lead poisoning, which is often undetected, can lead to:

• Decreased bone and muscle growth
• Poor muscle coordination
• Damage to the nervous system, kidneys, and/or hearing
• Speech and language problems
• Development delays
• Seizures and unconsciousness (in cases of extremely high lead levels

For more information about Lead Poisoning Prevention, call 414-897-5594.