The federal government said Wednesday it will expand educational programs in Flint, Michigan, to help kids get past the effects of lead in their drinking water, NBC News reported.
Emergency funding totaling $3.6 million would be used for transportation, new classrooms, the expansion of early childhood education and other actions.
It’s not clear how many children have been affected by the extra lad in Flint’s drinking water supply, although estimates range between 6,000 and 12,000. Flint changed its water source from treated water to water from the Flint River, which was high in salts that corroded plumbing and allowed lead to leach into the water.
Unborn babies and very young children are the most vulnerable to the effects of lead. It destroys nerve cells — including developing brain tissue, effects that cannot be reversed.
