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READING, PA (October 28, 2026) — The Lead-Free Promise Project, a coalition of nearly 80 organizations across Pennsylvania, convened residents, community leaders, healthcare professionals, and advocates on Wednesday, October 28, for Painting a Lead-Free Future for Children, a Southeast Pennsylvania Regional Conference focused on preventing lead exposure and building healthier, safer communities.
The half-day, community-focused event brought together participants from across Southeast Pennsylvania to share information, discuss policy solutions, and explore strategies to prevent lead exposure and protect children and families.
The conference was kicked off with remarks from Reading Mayor Eddie Moran as well as PA Representative Cepeda-Freytiz. “Every child deserves to grow up in a safe and healthy environment, and that starts with making sure the places they call home are free from lead hazards,” said Mayor Moran.
Featured keynote speakers included Ruth Ann, President and CEO of the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative; Shannon Burkett, writer, producer, and editor of the podcast LEAD: How This Story Ends is Up to Us; and Tara Trego, Director of the Bureau of Family Health at the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Healthcare professionals, lead remediation experts, early intervention specialists, and children advocates participated in panel discussions to support regional collaboration and advance childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts.
“In Pennsylvania, we still have over 11,000 children poisoned each year by lead with only about 21 percent of children under six years of age being tested, so the real level of poisoning is probably higher.” said Rosemarie Halt, Children First Health Policy Consultant. “We need to have children tested twice by the age of two. Currently ten states mandate the two tests by two, including New Jersey and New York. Pennsylvania consistently ranks in the top five states with the highest detectable rates of elevated lead levels in children.”
A highlight of the event was the presentation of the inaugural George Gould Award for Outstanding Service in Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention in Pennsylvania recognizing the importance of his dedicated service and continued commitment to protecting children from the dangers of lead exposure. George Gould was a dedicated public servant who devoted more than fifty years to helping people obtain and keep safe, affordable homes. Among George’s most lasting contributions was his work to protect children from lead poisoning. He represented families harmed by lead paint and pressed for stronger safeguards in rental housing, helping bring about Philadelphia’s ordinance to protect children from lead hazards. This year’s inaugural award was presented to Bruce Clash, the former Pennsylvania state director of the nonprofit organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. During his tenure, Bruce brought law enforcement leaders and the statewide police chief, sheriff, and district attorney associations into the Lead-Free Promise Project by drawing on the compelling evidence that lead exposure causes behavior issues that can precede later delinquency and crime.
“The work you do every day — whether inspecting a home, repairing a home, educating a family — all of it is so critically important to ensuring our children get into the classroom ready to learn; that they have the opportunity to learn, earn, and compete for a lifetime. Every year, we know that more than 11,000 Pennsylvania children are poisoned by lead, but how many tens of thousands more don’t we know about? How many lives have been affected? The work you do today can change the course of a child’s life forever,” Ruth Ann, President and CEO of Green & Healthy Homes Initiative.
Through convenings like Painting a Lead-Free Future for Children, the Lead-Free Promise Project works to strengthen connections among communities, organizations, and leaders committed to preventing lead exposure. The conference underscored the importance of shared knowledge, coordinated action, and community engagement in advancing solutions that help create safer, healthier environments for children and families throughout Pennsylvania.
The Lead-Free Promise Project (LFPP) launched its nearly 80-organization coalition in 2021 with the goal of removing lead paint-based hazards from homes and ensuring all children are screened twice before the age of two for lead poisoning as part of a comprehensive wellness exam. Learn more at www.paleadfree.org