Millions in grants to care for children with dental problems

PROVIDENCE, RI — Four nonprofits are sharing more than $7.9 million in grants to provide dental care focused on Providence children through the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 6/10 Children’s Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation.

“Supporting healthy and strong communities is at the heart of our work. Focusing the services on neighborhoods where health disparities are high will close gaps in access to care, deliver lifelong benefits to the children and their families, and create pathways to a brighter future,” said David N. Cicilline, the Foundation’s president and CEO.

The 6/10 Children’s Fund was established with $10 million from a civil settlement last year between Barletta Heavy Division and the Office of the Attorney General to resolve charges related to the company’s work at the Route 6/10 connector construction project in Providence. Which explains why these grants focus on Providence children, particularly young people from Olneyville, Silver Lake, and the West End.

“Dental care is healthcare, especially for young children. Yet nearly 40 percent of Rhode Island children can’t access quality dental care because of low Medicaid reimbursement rates. For far too long, Rhode Island children have suffered unnecessarily. While they have tried to play. While they have tried to learn. While they have tried to eat. For far too long, as with many aspects of our broken healthcare system, this easily solvable crisis has been paid lip service or ignored altogether,” said Attorney General Peter F. Neronha. “Today, pairing words with action, we take a major step.  With 10 million dollars my Office secured from a lawsuit against a Massachusetts company that brought contaminated soil to Providence from Massachusetts, Rhode Island children will have their pain remedied and their ability to smile returned. No child should suffer tooth or gum pain, or lose their teeth entirely, because of government inaction or indolence. My Office’s work, and these funds, delivered directly to where the money needs to go, will ensure that Rhode Island children are never failed in this way by their government again.”

Dental decay affects one in three kindergartners and almost half of third graders in Rhode Island, according to data from the R.I. Dept. of Health.

The four organizations receiving grants are:

The Providence Community Health Center (PCHC) will receive $2.7 million over three years to support a partnership with the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) and Children’s Friend.

CCRI dental hygiene faculty and students will deliver mobile, school and community-based screenings, sealants, fluoride varnish, and education while creating a referral pathway for patients to the pediatric dental program at PHCH. Children’s Friend will connect families having difficulty accessing pediatric oral health care with PCHC for dental services. PCHC’s pediatric dental clinic, located on Prairie Avenue in Providence, is home to approximately 18,000 annual patient visits.

“We are excited to partner with the Attorney General’s office and the Rhode Island Foundation to expand dental services to improve the oral health of young people in Providence,” said Merrill Thomas, PCHC’s president and CEO. “This grant funding will enable PCHC and our project partners at the Community College of Rhode Island and Children’s Friend to deliver hard-to-access oral health services to an additional 3,000 children annually.”

The Tri-County Community Action Agency will receive $2.5 million over three years to identify children with unmet dental needs and to care for them at its Pediatric Dental Center. As the state’s only advanced pediatric dental education program, the Center provides specialized treatment for children with severe dental decay and full-mouth oral rehabilitation under general anesthesia at Fatima Hospital.

“Thanks to the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General and the Rhode Island Foundation, we are poised to dramatically expand access to pediatric dental care for thousands of children,” said Joseph DeSantis, Tri-County’s president and CEO. “This support allows us to expand clinical capacity, coordinate school-based oral health services, and deliver specialized dental services to young children who are disproportionately affected by dental disease. Together, we can build healthier futures-one smile at a time.”

The Samuels Sinclair Dental Center in Providence will receive $2 million over three years to expand patient capacity through the addition of a dentist and dental assistants.

“For nearly a century, our mission has been to ensure that every child, especially those with complex medical needs and the greatest barriers to care, has access to high-quality dental services,” said Elizabeth Benz, DMD, the Center’s director. “This significant investment will allow us to strengthen that commitment by growing our clinical team, deepening partnerships, and supporting the next generation of pediatric dental specialists that Rhode Island children need while reaching thousands more local kids each year.”

The Comprehensive Community Action Program will receive $725,000 over three years to build on its existing care model, school-based programs, and mobile dental services. CCAP will hire a bilingual provider, partner with pediatric practices, launch a bilingual media campaign, and expand outreach through community organizations and their dental community health workers.

“For too long, dental care has been underrecognized despite its critical role in overall health. CCAP is proud to be part of this collaboration and grateful to Attorney General Peter Neronha for recognizing this urgent need and making an investment that will improve children’s health, strengthen school attendance, and help create meaningful systems change across our communities,” said Christopher Mansfield, CCAP’s president and CEO.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Through civic leadership, fundraising and grant-making activities, together with neighbors and partners, the Foundation is helping to create progress that lasts. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.