In our community, dental care for low-income children is a critical need. According to data from the Kids Count Database, of the 11,000 children in Dodge and Jefferson Counties covered by Medicaid, only 40% of them receive dental care in a given year.
GWCHF is excited to announce a grant to support Church Health Services (CHS) in Beaver Dam and Community Dental Clinic in Fort Atkinson to hire a shared dentist to increase access to dental preventative care and treatment for children in Dodge and Jefferson Counties. Funding for the grant totals just over $500,000 to be paid out over three year.
"Access to dental care for children on Medicaid is in high demand," said Bev Beal Loeck, Community Relations Coordinator for CHS. "Our collaboration with GWCHF and this grant will allow us to provide dental care to those children who really need it the most and get to them earlier. This will have a positive impact on their oral health moving forward into adulthood."
The Center for Pediatric Dentistry states tooth decay is the most common chronic disease among children in the United States. Early checkups help prevent cavities and tooth decay, which can lead to pain, trouble concentrating in school and other medical issues. Ensuring that all children receive preventative dental care will further GWCHF's strategic child development goals of increasing the percent of children with the skills needed to succeed in Kindergarten and the percent of children who read proficiently by third grade.
