![Gov. DeWine promised to bring more help to Cleveland, where a quarter of kindergartners in public schools had a history of lead poisoning. [Matt Richmond / ideastream]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dad20c9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1686+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F3%2F13%2Fdewine_jackson_web.jpg)
In Governor Mike DeWine鈥檚 first budget due later this week, he plans to allocate $10 million to the State Child Health Insurance Program for lead cleanup projects, the same amount as in the previous budget. He鈥檒l also call for a $10,000 tax credit to homeowners for lead abatement projects.
DeWine laid out the new measures to address lead contamination in Ohio during a visit to University Hospital鈥檚 Rainbow Center for Women and Children Wednesday.
鈥淭he announcement that we鈥檙e making today about what鈥檚 going to be in our budget is just the beginning,鈥� said DeWine, after meeting with local officials and health care workers. 鈥淲orking with them, we鈥檙e going to do more as we move forward.鈥�
According to an estimate from the Cleveland Foundation, it could cost $50 million just to clean up lead contamination in the city's hardest hit neighborhoods.
DeWine said the state will also spend $450,000 on training lead abatement workers and press for lead screening of all children on Medicaid.
Cleveland has launched its own campaign to make the city 'lead safe', setting up a coalition of city officials and advocates that .
Mayor Frank Jackson brought up the city's ongoing work during the meeting and DeWine expressed an interest in supporting it.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e trying to do is provide money and resources to them so they can help work on this problem,鈥� said DeWine. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 my commitment. We were here today to listen to what they had to say.鈥�
