As a precaution, a child development program for 2-to-5-year-old children at the University of California, Davis, will be relocated because recent testing has detected old undercoats of lead-based paint in the interior and exterior of the program's facility. Twenty-nine children enrolled in the Early Childhood Laboratory (ECL) -- now on summer break -- will move from the 60-year-old West House to nearby facilities when school begins Sept. 24. The lab's infant and toddler programs are housed in newer buildings, believed free of leaded paint; test results are expected this week. Extensive sampling by the university and Oakland consulting firm Occupational Knowledge Inc. revealed levels of lead exceeding recent federal and state guidelines in the deepest and oldest layers of paint inside and outside three ECL facilities: West House, East House (used primarily by adults for meetings and for storage) and Research House (used as administrative and research space by the ECL director). Only soil on the south side of Research House, an area not used by the children, showed unacceptable traces of lead paint, as did a playground tractor. Both the tractor and soil will be removed. In addition, the buildings will be fenced off from the children's play yard. "It's highly unlikely that any of the children would have ingested paint chips, given the close supervision each child receives and our extensively planned curriculum structure," said Carol Rodning, director of ECL and an assistant professor of human development and family studies. "But lead exposure is an issue of growing concern, so, to keep our children absolutely safe, we will move our program to new quarters." The Early Childhood Laboratory, established in 1963 and now operated through the campus Division of Human Development and Family Studies, serves as a teaching and research facility for UC Davis faculty and students interested in the development of young children. Children in the ECL preschool program typically spend three hours a day, five days per week, for three 10-week sessions a year at the facility. The lab's adult-to-child ratio in the preschool program is 4:1, not including UC Davis students who observe the preschool as part of their course curriculum. According to Dr. Robert Bates, Yolo County's health officer, it appears unlikely that children at ECL were exposed to significant amounts of lead at the facility. However, he recommends that parents have their children's blood checked for lead levels. "A screening test is generally recommended for all young children, especially under three years of age, who spend a significant amount of time in buildings built before 1960," he said. "This is especially important if these older buildings have peeling paint or have had recent remodeling or renovation that may have generated paint dust." Campus child care centers, as well as selected married housing units, are now being tested. Results are expected within a week. Letters have been sent to ECL parents and an informational meeting for them has been scheduled. Questions may be directed to Professor Rodning at 752-4378 or the campus's Office of Environmental Health and Safety at 752-3575. Lead screening is available without charge to low income families through the county's Child Health and Disability Prevention program. Call 666-8645 for more information.