G-2406-21847

Poverty Action, based in Washington state, is a statewide anti-poverty advocacy organization that advances policy for low-income communities across through in-person community organizing and online advocacy. 

Poverty Action and their statewide network have been actively engaged in oral health policy work and led efforts in getting the state’s Medicaid adult dental benefit reinstated. Most recently, Poverty Action has led the statewide work to advance dental therapy as a strategy to support the severe shortage of dental providers across the state through the Washington Dental Access Campaign (WDAC). As a grantee in 2023, The Washington Dental Access Campaign (WDAC) saw tremendous success as HB 1678 was passed to allow statewide Dental Therapy (DT) licensure in community health clinics.

WDAC aims to finalize the implementation of DT licensure and improve Medicaid dental coverage in Washington State. The workplan includes several key components: finalizing DT implementation by actively engaging in the Department of Health’s rulemaking process to ensure strong, equity-focused rules; and preparing community health clinics for hiring DTs through training, templates, and peer learning opportunities. WDAC will also support Skagit Valley College (SVC) by addressing challenges such as student outreach and tuition barriers and advocating for legislative proposals to update dental education faculty laws and include DT education in the state’s loan repayment program.

Additionally, WDAC’s coalition will advocate for improvements to Medicaid dental coverage, including better coverage for procedures like braces and dentures, expanding the Access to Baby & Child Dentistry (ABCD) program, and boosting Medicaid incentives for providing care in rural and underserved communities. In the fall of 2025, WDAC will host at least five listening sessions across Washington State to gather community input on oral health priorities and challenges. These sessions will inform WDAC’s advocacy work in the 2026 Legislative Session, ensuring community voices are central to the campaign. WDAC will also develop clear, compelling messaging incorporating these stories into fact sheets, media work, and videos.

The recommended amount of $125,000 represents the full request and retains the same funding amount from previous grant cycles. Funding will support salaries, staff travel for organizing activities, funding for office space and utilities, community meeting expenses, marketing, and indirect costs. This request represents 12% of the organization’s operating budget.