This article originally appeared in the September-October 2001 issue of the Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children.

Grassroots Snapshot:

Parents vs. lead poisoning

An L.A. child care center trains parents to bring environmental messages to their neighbors

By Jessine Foss

Los Angeles parent Orena Soto never thought that anything in her house would be toxic to her children. Then she went to a workshop on toxics in the home, sponsored by her son's child care center, Centro de Niños, and she signed up to be trained as a Community Keeper. Now, she says, "I look at what I buy. You could be poisoning your children and not know about it! And I've done a lot of talking to neighbors, family, and friends about lead dangers," particularly lead-based paint in old houses-and in some Mexican pots and candy.

To increase Latino families' awareness of the connection between the environment and children's health, Centro de Niños began educating parents and community members-and training them in activism. Once trained, the activists, known as Community Keepers, campaigned for legislation requiring lead screening for children entering school, developed a Spanish-language brochure about toxics in the home, and continue raising neighbors' awareness of environmental health issues.

"It's really an ingenious approach for a child care center to convene the community around environmental issues," says Fran Jemott, program director with the California Wellness Foundation. Centro de Ninos "did a fantastic job-the high level of community participation was a result of [their] understanding of the community."

Centro de Ninos' key strategies include:

• Bringing people together. Centro de Niños held a conference in 1999 on children's health, including asthma and lead dangers. "People are most concerned about children and their health, and the environment has a lot to do with children's health," says Sandra Serrano Sewell, executive director of Centro de Niños. Conference participants voted on three issues to tackle-toxics in the home, hazardous waste collection, and child health and the environment-and began training to be Community Keepers. A follow-up conference a year later helped participants measure progress.
  
  
• Training and support. Centro de Niños brought in experts to conduct trainings in Spanish for the Community Keepers on environmental justice, research, community organizing, media, and legislative advocacy. For example, a Latino public relations firm taught participants about getting media coverage by working with them on press releases for their action days. During the trainings, Centro de Niños provided child care and dinner and also sponsored family field trips to city hall meetings and to see movies including Erin Brockovich.
  
  
• Push for legislation. Activists campaigned for legislation that would require children to be tested for lead poisoning before they start school. The state's current lead-testing requirements, they say, aren't doing the job. Parents conducted a petition drive in their neighborhoods, contacted television stations to cover it, and presented 50,000 signatures to Senator Martha Escutia (D, Montebello).
  
  
• Community education. Activists worked with Centro de Niños staff to develop a Spanish-language brochure on toxics in the home. They use the brochure to educate their neighbors and hand out buckets of soap and gloves, with instructions for washing lead residue from walls.
  
  
• Ongoing support. Centro de Niños reproduces the brochures, facilitates meetings, and provides administrative support.

The two-year training program was funded by the California Wellness Foundation.

Activists are meeting now to plan a Latino Earth Day in 2002 as well as an action in October on the dangers of
secondhand smoke to children.

As a Community Keeper, says Soto, "I educate my children on [environmental] issues, and I can better advocate for their needs."

Centro de Niños, 213-484-1515

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