The Impact of Lead on Foster and Kinship Children

February 2025

In this month's newsletter:

A deep-dive into how lead is impacting Milwaukee—and why we especially need to protect foster and kinship children
A profile on one of our passionate CASA volunteers
Highlights from our amazing community, from a dedicated group of soup-makers to a decade of special treats for Valentine's Day
And more!

Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in the United States in 1978 when research revealed the devastating effects of lead exposure for children. Yet almost 50 years later, kids continue to experience lead poisoning. What many may believe is an outdated problem has been the focus of recent Wisconsin news stories that highlight the dangerous health consequences of lead exposure in school and at home.

Milwaukee's Lead Crisis: The Overlooked Danger to Foster and Kinship Children

In Milwaukee, lead poisoning can be linked to two main causes: the use of lead-based paint in buildings constructed before 1978 and the use of lead-lined water laterals (also known as service lines) that bring water into our homes. As of January 2025, there are approximately 65,000 residential lead laterals in Milwaukee County.

Understanding the Impact

While lead poisoning can affect everyone, it can be especially devastating to children under the age of 6 because their growing bodies can absorb lead more quickly. Lead poisoning can result in:

Reduced IQ and attention span
Learning disabilities
Developmental delays
A range of other health and behavioral effects

Fortunately, this issue is 100% preventable, and interventions can happen immediately for any children who are found to be exposed to unsafe levels of lead.

As of January 2025, Wisconsin adopted the national recommendation of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which means more children than ever can be identified and able to get treatment statewide.

Map: Locations of Milwaukee County foster care homes with lead-lined laterals (2020)

Advocacy Into Action

CASA volunteer and Ph.D. nursing student Sarah Matuzak asked, "How can we protect more kids from lead poisoning?" She took on the massive task of looking into how many foster and group homes are on lead laterals, reviewing over 450 individual addresses. When Sarah started the project, Milwaukee made free lead filters available for all homes on lead laterals. The city has since ended that program, so KIDS MATTER partnered with Ticket to Dream Foundation to continue to offer free lead filters for kinship families with children under 6 (while supplies last). Working together, we can make our homes and communities healthier for all of our kids.

Learn More About the Project

Sarah with her two kids

A Need for Action

Aligning with national standards is progress, but a major issue involves not enough children being tested, as testing numbers dropped during COVID-19 and have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, only about 75,000 children across the state were screened for lead levels; there are 323,411 children ages 4 and under in Wisconsin. This means that many children remain untested, undiagnosed, and increasingly at risk if no action is taken.

It is important to recognize that there is still much more to be done to protect children and eliminate lead poisoning as a threat. It begins by educating families about how children come into contact with lead, requiring children under 6 to be tested every year, and supporting the caregivers of those who are identified with unsafe levels so they can help to prevent additional exposure.

Foster and kinship children are already a vulnerable population due to instability and past trauma, and it is important to ensure that they are not being removed from unsafe living situations only to be placed into homes that continue or increase their exposure to lead.

Certain safeguards (like smoke detectors) have been recognized as absolute essentials for home safety when foster families are being licensed by the state, and mitigation of lead should be required as well. Despite the harmful effects of lead on young children that have been proven for decades, licensed placements are not asked to address the presence of lead in paint or water, and agencies have no responsibilities when it comes to educating caregivers about these effects. We believe this needs to change.

A Special Call to Protect Foster and Kinship Children

KIDS MATTER advocates for those who cannot yet stand up for themselves, and we are asking the community to raise awareness of a few essential steps to protect at-risk children:

1. All licensed foster homes—especially those taking in children under the age of 6—should be free from lead-poisoning dangers and have appropriate water filters if they are on lead laterals.

2. All foster and kinship youth on Child in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) orders should receive the appropriate lead screening as part of their routine health care.

3. State and local agencies should collaborate to make sure that foster and group homes know about funding programs that help them replace lead laterals and remove lead paint from their homes.

These three steps will go a long way toward protecting vulnerable foster and kinship youth.

Foster and Kinship Families:

3 Ways to Keep Kids Safe

If you're taking care of a young relative, especially one under the age of 6, you're already doing a lot! You're protecting them in so many ways, and another danger might feel overwhelming, especially if it's been a while since you had a young child in your home. Here are a few easy steps you can take to make sure they're safe from lead:

1. Have them tested for lead exposure at their annual doctor visit.

2. Look up your address in the county's lead service line database. If your residence is on a lead lateral, contact KIDS MATTER and request one of our free water filters (while supplies last).

3. Find out if your child is at risk of lead paint exposure as well:

• Own your home? Check the lead paint disclosure from when you bought your residence.

• Rent from someone? Ask your landlord to verify that there is no lead paint in your home.

• Still not sure? Check out the Wisconsin Lead-Safe Homes Program; contact them to see if your home is affected and eligible.

Discover More Tips

Read our full article to learn more about when children should be tested, how to reduce lead exposure, what funding programs are available, how CASA volunteers can help, and more.

Volunteer Spotlight

Learn More About Hailey

A volunteer’s journey often begins with a simple introduction—a conversation, an article, or even a social media post. That was how it happened for Hailey, who first discovered the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program on Instagram.

As a CASA volunteer, Hailey uses the skills she's acquired by running her own Creative Consultancy—including organization and effective communication—to ensure that each child’s voice is heard in the courtroom and beyond.

Serving children and the community isn’t just a responsibility for Hailey; it’s a passion. She believes that everyone has unique talents that can contribute to the greater good. She shares, “Life is not meant to be navigated alone—children, families, and communities thrive when they have consistent support.” Being able to provide stability, guidance, and advocacy for children in foster care is an honor and a way for her to give back in a truly meaningful way.

Become a Volunteer

Community Partner Shoutouts

Three cheers for all of our friends at Kids Impact Community (KIC) for putting together 130+ birthday bags for foster and kinship youth! For many of our kids, birthdays can be just another day, but thanks to KIC's Birthday Buddies Program, each child will feel seen, celebrated, and loved on their special day. Hip hip hooray!

This lovely group got their ladles together and hosted a special luncheon at Wilson Commons! Their soup warmed everyone who attended, and the $400 they raised for foster and kinship youth is going to warm the hearts of kids across the city. Thank you so much to Nancy, Jim, Blanche, Rosalie, Nancy, and Judy—we think you're soup-er!

Claire in 2025

Claire and friends in 2015

We are so grateful to Claire for putting together these heartfelt valentines for our foster youth. She's been doing this thoughtful Valentine’s Day project every February for more than 10 YEARS—here she is today and way back in 2015 with her friends who helped out when they were all middle schoolers!

Get Connected

Are you raising someone else's child and looking for more support? Sign up to receive a monthly newsletter that is tailored just for you, or join our Wisconsin Grandfamilies Matter group on Facebook.

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