PEORIA - It could be harder to prevent lead poisoning in Peoria now that the county lost a $3 million grant that paid for lead removal in homes.
 
Dan-yale Hampton's daughter was lead poisoned in the past, and says the county needs to get that money back. 

  Not only for her own child, but for the sake of all Peoria children.
 
Hampton's five-year old daughter Shyara plays freely with her siblings now. Something she couldn't do at their old house.

"She was hospitalized for one month, her lung ended up collapsing so it was a lot of stress," nodded Hampton.

  Shyara was exposed to the lead from their old home's windows.  Which is not uncommon in Peoria County.

 In 2007 5% of Peoria children tested positive for lead poisoning. That's five times higher than the state average according to the Peoria Health Department.

 Thanks to the Lead Hazard Control Grant, Hampton's new landlord was able to make  place lead-free before she and her children moved in.

"On this program the landlord has to pay 10% of it and so i paid $1,400," said landlord Beverlee Hayes.

Since  the government failed to renew the grant last week, Hayes is now on her own, but the Peoria Health Department hopes that will not be forever.

"We don't want to lose the momentum that we've created with this project and we hope to be able to move it forward utilizing local dollars," said Public Health Administrator, Greg Chance.

  So that other parent's like Hampton have one less thing to worry about.

 "My kids can come outside and play, I don't have to worry about lead in the soil or lead in the house or windows, or worried about chipping paint cuz there is none and it's just a big release," said Hampton.

   It could be as late as March until we learn why the government didn't renew the grant.

  Until then the Health Department plans on pulling together in-reserve and county dollars to contine program before applying for other government funds.