County Proclaims Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and Seeks Solutions for Foster Family Insurance Crisis

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Decreased Brain Volume From Lead Exposure
Decreased Brain Volume from Lead Exposure. Creative Commons

Supervisors Proclaim Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Sept. 24 approved a motion authored by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis and co-authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn to proclaim October 20-26, as Lead Poisoning Prevention Week in Los Angeles County.

Lead is a naturally occurring element that has been widely used for industrial purposes such as in batteries, gasoline, and historically in paint. Lead is invisible, tasteless, and odorless, making it a silent but highly toxic threat to both humans and animals. There are no safe levels of lead exposure. Prolonged exposure to high levels of lead is frequently prevalent in low-income neighborhoods, and by extension communities of color, from both industrial and residential sources. These communities often suffer from environmental inequities, with higher concentrations of freeways, battery smelters, oil fields, and aging homes with lead-based paint.

“I want to emphasize that tackling lead poisoning is not just the responsibility of individual families. We know the threat that lead poses to our children, and we know how difficult it can be to detect and eradicate. This is a public health issue that requires cooperation at every level. As Los Angeles County works to protect our children from lead poisoning, we are going to raise awareness of the steps everyone can take to help protect their families from lead exposure,” said Supervisor Hahn.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, lead can linger in the body for years- months in the soft tissues and decades in bones. Additionally, living in an urban area, such as Los Angeles County, exposure to some level of lead is almost inevitable. The only way to know if one has been lead-poisoned is by getting a blood lead test. Children should be screened at 1 and 2 years of age, and any time they are potentially exposed to a lead source. Adults should request a blood lead test from their medical provider if exposed to a lead hazard source.

With the approval of today’s motion, the Los Angeles County Department will launch a formal health education campaign during Lead Poisoning Prevention Week that encourages parents, community members, and school districts to engage in health education activities regarding the impact of lead on health and post-exposure care.

Details: For more information, read the full motion

 

County Seeks Solutions for Foster Family Agency Insurance Crisis

The insurance coverage crisis that is sweeping across various sectors in California has found a new target: Foster Family Agencies.

Last month, the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance of California or NIAC, the insurance entity that covers 90% of all foster family agencies or FFAs in California, issued non-renewal notices to 30 FFAs of the 46 that are headquartered in Los Angeles County. Fourteen of those agencies–who provide foster care for approximately 500 children–will lose insurance in the next 21 to 30 days and may be forced to close their doors.

As a result, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to support a motion introduced by Supervisor Barger and co-authored by Chair Lindsey P. Horvath to urgently find some short and long-term solutions. ”

Los Angeles County’s legal team now has 15 days to collaborate with the chief executive office and the Department of Children and Family Services to report insurance crisis solutions to the Board of Supervisors. The motion also instructs the county’s team of lobbyists to advocate for state budget proposals that can provide a long term solution to the insurance crisis facing FFAs.

During the Board of Supervisors’ discussion on this item, multiple foster family agency representatives testified to the impact of this looming insurance crisis on their operations. “Our agency has facilitated positive permanent outcomes for vulnerable children for 36 years,” said Cesar A. Gomez, LCSW, division director of Permanency Program Services for Five Acres. “Please continue your advocacy on behalf of Foster Family Agencies so that we can keep doing this important work. The future of our most vulnerable children in Los Angeles County is on the line.”

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