Lead Information for Child Care Providers

Lead Safe Child Care in Connecticut

Connecticut laws protect children from lead paint hazards in family child care homes, group child care homes and child care centers. The laws apply to all child care facilities built before 1978.

Lead paint, which was banned in the United States in 1978, is the most common source of lead exposure for children in Connecticut. Lead poisoning in children can cause developmental delays, difficulty learning, behavioral issues, and neurological damage. Younger children are more likely to be exposed to lead paint and lead dust due to their hand to mouth behavior, especially if lead paint is chipping, flaking, peeling, or cracking.

Family child care homes, group child care homes and child care centers are licensed by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC). For information on child care licensing, click here. 

Family Child Care Homes

For Family Child Care Homes built before 1978, an interior and exterior visual inspection for lead paint is conducted by the child care licensing specialist. If peeling and chipping paint is observed during the inspection, OEC staff will collect a sample and send it to the state lab to determine if lead is present. If the sample is found to contain lead, the defective paint must be corrected as outlined below. 
For more information, please visit the OEC's Family Child Care Homes webpage.

Group Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers

For Group Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers, a full comprehensive lead inspection is required for buildings built before 1978. Any new centers must have a comprehensive lead inspection completed prior to opening. All existing centers should have copies of any previous comprehensive lead inspections on file and have inspections completed for any new room(s) or missed areas as soon as possible.

When a comprehensive lead inspection is required, a copy of the Lead Inspection Report, completed by the CT DPH-licensed lead consultant, must be submitted to the assigned OEC Licensing Specialist. For more information on how to locate a CT DPH licensed lead consultant, click here.

• If lead-based paint or lead hazards are not identified, no additional documents are required to be submitted.
• If lead-based paint or lead hazards are identified, then the hazards must be corrected as outlined below.

If lead hazards are found, the steps to correct will differ based on the type of license you have. 

• Child Care Centers and Group Child Care Homes are required to remediate the identified lead hazards using an EPA RRP certified firm.
• Family Child Care Homes:
  • Those operating within a home, with CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 6 residing, are required to abate the lead hazards using a DPH-licensed lead abatement contractor.
  • Those operating within a home, with NO CHILDREN UNDER 6 residing, are required to remediate lead hazards using an EPA RRP-certified firm. 

When Lead Abatement is Required: 

Per Connecticut General Statute 19a-111-2, when lead hazards are identified in the home of a child under the age of 6, all hazards must be abated using a CT DPH licensed lead abatement professional.

A Lead Abatement Plan must be developed and submitted, by the OEC-licensed operator, to your Local Health Department or District for review and approval prior to the start of abatement work. 

DPH Licensed Lead Consultants
Model Lead Abatement Plan
Model Lead Management Plan

When Lead Remediation is Required: 

For lead hazards found within a child care center, group child care home (no children under the age of 6 residing) or family child care homes (no children under the age of 6 residing), remediation of lead hazards must be completed by an EPA RRP-certified firm.

Before work can begin, a Lead Hazard Remediation Plan must be submitted to your local health department or district for approval. 

Please reach out to your OEC Licensing Specialist or local health department or district for additional assistance and guidance.

Model Lead Hazard Remediation Plan for Child Care Facilities
Model Lead Management Plan

Statutes and Regulations
Office of Early Childhood (OEC) Main Page
OEC Statutes & Regulations
Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Regulations (Sections 19a-111-1 through 19a - 111-11)

Resources
EPA's RRP Pamphlet for Child Care Providers
EPA RRP Child-Occupied Facility Information Bulletin