Attorney General James Announces $100,000 Investment to Expand Childhood Lead Testing in Rural New York
NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a $100,000 investment to expand childhood lead testing in rural New York, using funds secured through the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) settlement with Dollar Tree over the sale of recalled, lead-contaminated children’s food. Attorney General James’ investment will fund an 18-month project led by Pivital Public Health Partnership to model innovative approaches to increasing blood lead screening among one- and two-year-old children in Yates and Seneca counties, where fewer than half of children are currently screened for lead poisoning by age two. The project will combine community education sessions, grocery voucher incentives, and targeted outreach to help families complete lead screenings for their children.
“Lead poisoning can cause serious and lasting harm to children, and the best way we can protect young New Yorkers is by ensuring families know when their kids have been exposed,” said Attorney General James. “Every New York family should have access to the testing and resources they need to keep their children safe. We are putting money secured from Dollar Tree to work in communities where too many young children are going without this critical screening and building a model that can be brought to rural communities throughout New York.”
“We’re deeply grateful to Attorney General James for this investment in the health of children and families in Yates and Seneca counties,” said Michele Foster, Executive Director of Pivital Public Health Partnership. “This project helps us to hear directly from parents and caregivers about their experiences with blood lead testing and better understand why testing rates remain low among children ages one and two. Together with education, outreach, and direct support for families, our goal is to increase blood lead testing in these counties.”
New York law requires health care providers to screen or refer every child for blood lead testing around ages one and two, but testing rates in Yates and Seneca counties have lagged well behind the state average, potentially leaving many cases of lead poisoning undetected. In 2025, just 41 percent of one-year-olds and 42.7 percent of two-year-olds in Yates County received blood lead testing, while testing rates in Seneca County were 49.5 percent and 49.1 percent, respectively.
Attorney General James is now awarding $100,000 to Pivital Public Health Partnership, a nonprofit affiliation of seven county public health departments in the Finger Lakes region, to address these disparities. Under the new program, Pivital will hold small-group listening and education sessions with caregivers in trusted community settings, offer grocery voucher incentives to families who complete their child's blood lead test, and run a messaging campaign informed directly by caregiver feedback. The campaign will include social media messaging to more directly reach families.
The project will prioritize outreach in state-designated Disadvantaged Communities within both counties, including information sessions and targeted marketing in neighborhoods that face the greatest barriers to preventive health care. The initiative will work through systems families already rely on, including county health departments, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Early Intervention, and primary care providers, so that successful strategies can continue beyond the 18-month pilot. The project will identify barriers to testing and evaluate which strategies are most effective at increasing testing rates. If successful, OAG hopes that the model can be shared with other rural communities in the Finger Lakes and across New York.
The funding for this project comes from Attorney General James’ $559,250 settlement with Dollar Tree following an OAG investigation into the company’s continued sale of lead-contaminated applesauce following a nationwide recall. The settlement funds were intended to be used for lead poisoning prevention and response programs and efforts to improve access to healthy and affordable food in underserved communities.
“The Western NY Lead Poisoning Resource Center applauds Attorney General James for her generous award to Pivital Public Health Partnership, who will lead efforts to continue to improve rates of blood lead testing for children in Seneca and Yates counties," said Sandra Jee, MD, MPH, Medical Director at Western NY Lead Poisoning Resource Center. “We know based upon our clinical experience that so many families are suffering from lead poisoning in rural areas due to limited housing stock and environmental lead exposures. Raising awareness through outreach and education, and incentivizing families and providers to ensure proper childhood lead testing is critically important, and we support efforts to extend this work in partnership with county health officials.”
“Every child in Seneca County deserves a healthy start, and a simple blood test can help families identify lead exposure early,” said Michael J. Enslow, Chairman of the Seneca County Board of Supervisors. “This investment will help us reach more parents, understand what keeps families from getting their children tested, and make it easier to follow through. I appreciate Attorney General James and Pivital Public Health Partnership for supporting an approach shaped by the needs of our rural communities.”
“Every child deserves a healthy start, and early lead testing is an important part of protecting their health and development," said Alyssa Broome-Quissimisse, MPH, Yates County Director of Public Health. "In Yates County, we know that many children are not receiving recommended lead screenings because of barriers to access. We look forward to working with Pivital Public Health Partnership to develop approaches that increase lead testing rates while respecting the unique needs and preferences of the families and communities we serve.”
“Protecting children from lead exposure has long been a priority of mine, and I am encouraged to see additional resources being directed to the rural communities that need them most," said Senator Thomas F. O’Mara. "When I sponsored legislation in 2016 to make New York the first state in the nation to require testing for lead in school drinking water, we recognized that safeguarding children from lead exposure would require a sustained, long-term commitment. This investment in Yates and Seneca counties, both part of my 58th Senate District, builds on that commitment by helping identify lead exposure earlier and connecting families with the testing, information, and support they need. Early detection and prevention remain essential to protecting the health, safety, and future well-being of our children.”
“Many of our rural upstate communities continue to face barriers to testing for lead poisoning," said Assemblymember Phil Palmesano. "Detection and prevention are critical, and this important funding will help Seneca and Yates County officials with continued outreach and support through innovative approaches to expand lead screening to help ensure children are protected from this serious health risk.”
This is the latest in Attorney General James’ efforts to address lead poisoning in New York. In July 2026, Attorney General James provided $250,000 to create a new program to train and certify approximately 720 construction workers in lead-safe work practices in New York City. In June 2026, Attorney General James delivered $110,000 to fund the Syracuse Lead Freedom House, a first-of-its-kind lead-safe temporary housing facility that will provide safe shelter and support for families displaced by lead hazard abatement. In April 2026, Attorney General James secured a settlement with Syracuse landlords Brian A. Murphy and Harry Murphy following an investigation into dangerous lead hazards and unsafe living conditions throughout their rental properties. In September 2025, Attorney General James secured $515,000 from Buffalo landlord Farhad Raiszadeh for repeated violations of lead paint laws. In December 2024, Attorney General James secured $6.5 million from Lilmor Management, one of New York City’s worst landlords, for persistent violations of lead paint, mold, and housing maintenance laws.
This matter was handled by Environmental Scientist Amelia Grant-Alfieri and Assistant Attorney General Max Shterngel, under the supervision of Environmental Protection Bureau Chief Lemuel M. Srolovic. The Environmental Protection Bureau is a part of the Division for Social Justice, which is overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux.
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