About Us

The mission of the Childhood Lead Action Project (CLAP) is to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in RI through education, parent support & advocacy. Founded in 1992 by parents of lead poisoned children, medical professionals, social justice activists, and other community members, we remain the only organization in the state devoted primarily to this critical environmental justice issue.

Childhood Lead Action Project coordinates community-based education campaigns for urban communities seriously affected by lead poisoning while mobilizing citizens to work for environmental justice. Childhood Lead Action Project facilitates multiple coalitions across the state where environmental, housing, health, and social service groups and parents of lead poisoned children work together to promote lead safety. Current local committees include the high-risk communities of Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket.

To learn more about what we’re working on right now, contact us.

Past Accomplishments

Our work has been a catalyst for a significant decrease in childhood lead poisoning in Rhode Island over the last three decades. These accomplishments have earned us local and national awards. The Ocean State often turns to us to provide leadership on important initiatives such as the Attorney General’s Advisory Commission on Lead Paint and the State’s strategic plan on eliminating childhood lead poisoning. Some of our achievements are:

Successfully advocating for the passage of the RI Lead Hazard Mitigation Act and the RI Lead Poisoning Prevention Act.
Educating over 30,000 parents, immigrants, refugees, tenants, health workers, homeowners, and professionals in high-risk communities about lead dangers and resources.
Coordinating lead hazard awareness campaigns in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, East Providence, Warwick, Newport, and Woonsocket.
Since 2004, training over 12,000 workers, homeowners, and landlords on lead prevention and mitigation through in-person classes, our online RI Lead Hazard Awareness Seminar and a DVD used as an English and Spanish language training tool in lead safety classes. We were one of the first RI-based organizations to become EPA-certified to offer the Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) class and have trained thousands of workers since that time.
Training and encouraging RI’s core cities - Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket - to routinely enforce RI’s lead safety requirements for rental housing – resulting in many hundreds of units made safe in the last several years.