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Improving Oral Health through School-Based Prevention in Northwest Connecticut

Improve Community Assets
School-Based Health
Organization: Brooker Memorial
Grant: $32,000
Grant Year: 2022
County: Litchfield
State: CT

FCH made a grant to Brooker Memorial to operate its school-based oral health program, which serves students in grades K-8 in northwest Connecticut.

School-based oral health programs work: dental sealants are a proven form of prevention for tooth decay and school-based sealant programs have been found to be the most cost-effective way to reach children that are at the greatest risk of cavities. Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic conditions of children in the United States. Approximately 1 in 5 (20%) children aged 5 to 11 years have at least one untreated decayed tooth. School-based sealant programs have been found to be the most cost-effective way to reach children that are at the greatest risk of cavities. Brooker Memorial has become an indispensable resource in our rural community, providing essential services that would otherwise be unavailable to many of our region’s children.

“Around the country, students and their families get health care services at or near their school campuses through an estimated 2,000 school-based health centers. By providing a range of primary care, mental health care and even dental services right in schools, these centers advance health equity, address the frequent fragmentation of services for youth and help boost student achievement.”

Health& Rural Communities, What Works

Our Learning Questions

As we continue to support this work, we hold these questions in mind to maintain and grow these long-standing partnerships with organizations like Brooker Memorial:

-To what extent does trust improve between the foundation and its grantee partners?

-How can FCH continue to support each program’s progression toward effectiveness and resiliency?