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All students entering Kindergarten at Michigan City Area Schools are required to have a Lead Screening. (Please see the MCAS School Board policy below.)
Free blood testing for lead levels is available at the LaPorte County Health Department for children 6 months through 6 years of age and for pregnant women. Please call ahead for an appointment:
* Michigan City Office – 302 W. 8th Street Suite 4 Michigan City, (219) 809-0515
* La Porte Office – 809 State Street Suite 401-A La Porte, (219) 325-5563
You also may have your child tested by your physician, but this testing may not be free.
Some children may already have been tested for lead; the blood lead screen is often given to infants and toddlers as part of routine check-ups. If your child has had the test (at any age), you do not need to have a new test performed. Simply bring proof of the screening to your child’s school. This documentation will be available from your healthcare provider or the LaPorte County Health Department (if the testing was performed there).Michigan City Area Schools Board of Trustees adopted the following Lead Screening Policy on March 26, 2019:
LEAD SCREENING REQUIREMENT
The School Board requires that all students entering Kindergarten be screened for Blood Lead
Level according to the Lead Screening Requirements issued by the Indiana State Department of
Health.
The Superintendent shall require parents/guardians to furnish to their child's school, no later
than 20 days after the student’s first day of school attendance, proof of the student’s lead
screening either as a written document from the health care provider who administered the lead
screening or documentation recorded in the state data registry.
School principals shall be responsible to provide information concerning lead poisoning and
methods to prevent lead poisoning to parents/guardians of Kindergarten students prior to the
beginning of the school year. The information must address the serious damage to a child’s
physical and cognitive development caused by lead poisoning and resources where parents may
obtain additional information about the prevention of lead poisoning. Exemptions to the lead
screening requirements shall be granted, in accordance with State law (IC § 20-34-3-2)ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Follow the links below for more information about how to reduce your child's risk of lead exposure.- If your home was built before 1978, there is a good chance it has lead-based paint. Download the information and application below to learn how you can qualify for free testing and repair work to make your home safe, whether you own or rent.
Indiana Lead Protection Program - 5 Things You Can Do to Help Lower Your Child's Lead Level
- Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning
- Indiana Department of Environmental Management - Lead Info Web Page
- If your home was built before 1978, there is a good chance it has lead-based paint. Download the information and application below to learn how you can qualify for free testing and repair work to make your home safe, whether you own or rent.