In order to highlight the importance of identifying children with elevated blood lead levels, the Illinois Department of Public Health produces its surveillance report to present state and county level data on the number of children screened for and identified with lead poisoning. In Illinois, all children between 6 and 84 months of age must be assessed for lead poisoning at least once before entering a licensed day care center, preschool, or kindergarten. This report provides information from 1998 and 1999 on screening tests conducted on children 15 years old or younger. The report indicates that in 1999, 11 percent of those tested had at least 1 blood lead test result greater than or equal to 10 mcg/dL. African American children are over three times more likely to be affected by lead poisoning than Caucasian children. Hispanic children were nearly twice as likely to have lead poisoning as Caucasian children. Much of the group differences were attributed to the fact that minority groups were more likely to live in older housing in high-risk areas. The age at which children should be screened is discussed, and requirements for screening children living in high-risk areas is presented. The report concludes with a list of organizational sources for information about lead poisoning prevention. (KB)