CareQuest Institute Awards $1.25 Million in Grant Funding for School-Related Oral Health Initiatives

Funds Support Grantees to Improve Oral Health Access and Outcomes Through School-Based Programs

(Boston, MA) – CareQuest Institute for Oral Health®, a leading national nonprofit focused on creating a more accessible, equitable, and integrated oral health system, has awarded $1.25 million in grant funds for school-based and school-linked initiatives to improve oral health outcomes. Grants were awarded to 10 organizations across the country, including in California, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

“Schools play a critical role in supporting positive health outcomes for children, particularly those from under resourced communities. Oral health programs at schools have the potential to increase student success, improve health outcomes for children, and reduce racial, ethnic, and economic disparities,” said Trenae Simpson, Director of Grants and Programs at CareQuest Institute. “School-based programs meet children where they are, connect them with community-driven resources, encourage preventive care habits, and improve oral health outcomes. CareQuest Institute is proud to support organizations that engage with and support communities to achieve their best health.”

The School-Based and School-Linked Initiatives to Improve Oral Health RFP will support the following organizations:

• American Academy of Pediatrics in Illinois ($125,000) to adapt the Training, Education, Assistance, Mentorship, and Support (TEAMS) model to improve oral health in schools and development of an oral health micro-module for the AAP Health Services Assessment Tool for Schools (HATS).
• Center for Oral Health in California ($125,000) to support the success of the Early Smiles Program to advocate for critical policy reforms at local and state levels in California. This initiative seeks to expand and enhance oral health services provided through their school-based program, which has demonstrated significant impact in Sacramento, Yolo, Alpine, and Trinity counties (California).
• EXCELth, Inc. in Louisiana ($125,000) to implement the Louisiana Smile Krewe School-Linked Initiative with the goal of increasing the number of children utilizing dental services as well as promote widespread use of teledentistry to address barriers to oral health for rural communities.
• MCD Global Health in Maine ($125,000) to integrate oral health with health, dental, and school partners, and increased access to care for Maine children utilizing school nurses to provide screenings and preventive services.
• Montana State University ($125,000) to launch the Youth Voice Project, which will conduct focus groups with 7th-12th grade students to identify their perceptions of oral health in their community. Montana State University will also pilot a same day treatment protocol in the School-Based Health Center to disrupt the current model where students are referred to treatment over 100 miles away in Billings.
• More Smiles Wisconsin ($125,000) to expand oral health collaborations between schools, school-based prevention programs, and local dentists through the existing and recently established Hometown Smiles program.
• Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation in Florida ($125,000) to increase access to oral health care for recent immigrant children in partnership with Borinquen Medical Center (BMC) and eight elementary public schools in Miami-Dade County.
• Oral Health Unit at CDPHE in Colorado ($125,000) to expand school-based oral health in collaboration with Youth Healthcare Alliance through engaging schools and communities to address systemic barriers to oral health for children and their families.
• Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics ($125,000) to implement a school-based oral health program. This will include preventive education, topical fluoride varnish application, and dental referral through targeted educational resources for school nurses.
• Well Child Center in Illinois ($125,000) to form and convene a Community of Practice to improve oral health in the second largest school district in Illinois (western suburbs of Chicago).

In 2024, CareQuest Institute will award a total of $13 million in grants, with a focus on collaborating with organizations that embody and reflect the communities that have historically been hurt by glaring inequities in oral health, including racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, refugees, persons with disabilities, veterans, and tribal and rural communities.

To learn more about CareQuest Institute’s philanthropy work, click here.

Direct Media Inquiries to:
Sara Ward
sward@carequest.org
314-276-6727

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About CareQuest Institute for Oral Health®
CareQuest Institute for Oral Health® is a national nonprofit championing a more equitable future where every person can reach their full potential through excellent health. We do this through our work in philanthropy, analytics and data insights, health transformation, policy and advocacy, and education as well as our leadership in dental benefits and innovation advancements. We collaborate with thought leaders, health care providers, patients, and local, state, and federal stakeholders, to accelerate oral health care transformation and create a system designed for everyone. To learn more, visit carequest.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.