At a glance
CDC supports Genesee County, NY, and other local and state health departments, or their bona fide agents, through cooperative agreements to support childhood lead poisoning prevention activities. Read about the program's success.
About the program
Genesee County received $248,226 through cooperative agreement EH21-2102 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in FY 2022 to cover childhood lead poisoning prevention and surveillance programmatic activities conducted during September 30, 2022, to September 29, 2023. The strategies emphasize targeted, population-based policy interventions with a focus on community-based approaches for lead hazard elimination.
To learn more about these efforts in Genesee County, contact the program below.
Genesee & Orleans Public Health Departments
3837 West Main St. Rd.
Batavia, NY 14020
Phone: 585-344-2580
Note:
Success story: funding year 3
GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming) County public awareness campaign
Challenge
The Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming (GLOW) region encompasses four small rural counties situated geographically between Rochester and Buffalo in Western New York. According to the American Community Survey (2022), over 50,000 homes in the GLOW region were constructed before the 1978 ban on lead in residential paint, with a significant number still posing lead hazards. Focusing and engaging with such widespread areas presents a unique challenge for spreading health education and promotion efforts.
Intervention
The GLOW Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention (CLPPP) Team implemented a comprehensive public awareness campaign from October 2022 to September 2023 to promote and educate community members across the GLOW region. This initiative was centered on educating the public about the significance of testing children for lead at 1 and 2 years, identifying potential lead hazards within households, and how to reach the GLOW CLPPP for additional information and resources.
The campaign included four billboards strategically positioned in each of the four counties. The campaign also used advertisements in local newspapers, social media platforms for informative posts, banner advertisements, and direct mail to communities that are at risk. Using varied information channels, the program aimed to engage diverse community segments, ensuring that its efforts reached a broad audience and ultimately contributed to increased awareness and primary prevention of childhood lead poisoning.
Impact
The GLOW CLPPP Team initiated an evaluation of this activity by using a community survey, which received 51 responses. The findings revealed notable success, with approximately 70% of surveyed individuals recognizing at least one of the billboards in the region. Additionally, the other interventions demonstrated positive outcomes, including 22% of respondents recalling the social media education, 19% seeing the newspaper ads, and another 19% receiving the direct mailings. These results provide valuable insights for demonstrating the intervention's success and providing feedback for improvement for future campaigns.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by NUE2EH001449 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of CDC; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Success story: funding year 2
Developing a coalition to increase outreach and education in four rural New York counties
Challenge
The New York State counties of Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming (GLOW) are very rural, with an average population density of approximately 96 people per square mile. Many older homes in this region may contain lead hazards that may be harming the children that occupy them. Rural residents in the GLOW region face challenges obtaining outreach and education regarding childhood lead poisoning prevention. New methods were needed to reach this population.
Intervention
Prior to the start of the coalition and the CDC grant, the GLOW region had only the health department programs. The GLOW Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) created partnerships with other community organizations in the four counties and invited staff members from each organization to join the GLOW Lead Coalition. The GLOW Lead Coalition aims to improve childhood lead poisoning prevention outreach and education and promote a lead-free environment to rural residents. Forty members from community organizations, including non-profit, private, and government entities which help low-income and minority populations in the GLOW region, participated in the GLOW Lead Coalition. Coalition meetings are held quarterly. The first coalition meeting was held in April 2022, and the second was held in August 2022.
Impact
The GLOW Lead Coalition created partnerships with 12 organizations in the region. The GLOW CLPPP Team educated coalition members from these organizations on childhood lead poisoning prevention. The coalition has also dispersed educational flyers to the people they serve in the community. As a result, the GLOW Lead Coalition has created more opportunities to reach the GLOW region's residents and educate them about childhood lead poisoning prevention.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by NUE2EH001449 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the CDC; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.