1709-13460

This investment supports the Hawaii Children's Action Network (HCAN) in its efforts to engage a diverse set of stakeholders in Hawaii, with a specific focus on advancing children's oral health and reducing disparities experienced by the state's underserved populations. There has been significant momentum around oral health in Hawaii. The Dept. of Health recently received a five-year grant from the CDC to rebuild its oral health program and, under the direction of its new Dental Director, Gavin Uchida, the state has held a series of town hall meetings to gather more community-specific information on oral health needs and strategies. In order to build upon this momentum, HCAN will establish and facilitate an oral health disparities work group and a child oral health work group, ensuring the voice of underrepresented populations is included in the development of the statewide oral health plan; conduct six oral health advocacy 101 trainings; develop and disseminate resources and tools to engage policymakers and the community in oral health issues; and support the efforts of the Dept. of Health related to oral health. Significant oral health disparities in Hawaii's residents have been reported, related to ethnicity, income, education, health insurance, and geography. A number of important environmental factors contribute to poor oral health of adults and children within the state: lack of fluoridated water, limited coverage under Medicaid, and a lack of data to inform policymakers of the need residents face. Supporting this work will allow HCAN to continue to engage local residents about the barriers they face in supporting their oral health needs, inform key decision makers about the importance of oral health, and ensure that the voice of underserved communities is driving state policy and systems change. This proposal aligns with the Oral Health 2020 goal of eradicating dental disease in children and the target that by 2020, with the closing of disparity gaps, 85% of children reach age 5 without a cavity. $150,000 will be used to support personnel and consultant time to manage and implement the project, meeting and travel costs necessary to engage local communities, grassroots mini-grants, and other administrative costs to support the project's implementation.