Public Health in Oregon - Join The Conversation

Children’s Oral Health Funding available in Benton, Douglas, Lane, and Linn Counties

By: CHP | Posted on: March 15th, 2010 | Share:
Categories: Public Health

Our friends at the Oregon Community Foundation asked us to share with CHP readers a new funding opportunity for Benton, Douglas, Lane, and Linn Counties.  Dental disease is an issue that affects many children in Oregon, and often times, could have been prevented. Thirty-five percent of our first and third graders suffer from untreated decay and lose millions of school hours each year. And because untreated decay can lead to abscess, bone destruction, and an infection in the bloodstream, these children’s ability to eat, speak, learn, and play is at risk. Children who have poor oral health are being set up for a lifetime of dental problems if the underlying problems are not addressed.

The Oregon Community Foundation launched the Regional Action Initiative (RAI) in 2008 to engage Oregonians in a new level of civic leadership to increase Oregon’s quality of life and improve communities in a significant and lasting way. OCF is contributing a one-time special allocation of $1 million to each of OCF’s seven service regions, including Southern Willamette Valley, to implement and evaluate the RAI. The SWV region includes Benton, Douglas, Lane and Linn Counties. Volunteers from the OCF Southern Willamette Valley Leadership Council formed a RAI Committee that assessed the needs of children and families in the four counties. After multiple interviews, presentations and community forums, they identified children’s dental health as a significant issue to address with this Initiative. For the past six months, community leaders and researchers have helped the Council identify how to make an impact in children’s dental health through education, prevention, treatment and advocacy. While this effort is part of the overall RAI, it will be referred to as the Southern Willamette Valley Children’s Dental Health Initiative. The RAI Committee intends to support efforts over the next three years to improve children’s dental health in the four county region with special emphasis on prevention through education and advocacy. The SWV RAI Committee invites interested applicants to submit proposals demonstrating how one or more of the following desired outcomes could be achieved.

To learn more about what types of projects they are looking to support and whether your organization is eligible to receive a grant, download their “Request For Application” and application forms here:
Request For Proposals
SWV Regional Action Initiative Application Form
Applications are due May 14, 2010.