G-1901-14738

This investment supports Smart Beginnings Virginia Peninsula (SBVP) to act as a lead convener in the Virginia Peninsula community as part of the Grassroots Engagement Strategy. SBVP has a focus on supporting the health of all children in the community to prepare them to enter the education system ready to learn and succeed in school. Year 4 was focused on working with partner agencies to integrate oral health training into their employee orientation and ongoing staff development programs; attending community events to provide materials, discuss oral health awareness, and identify potential community partners and advocates; developing an emergency department diversion pilot program; and providing oral health training to students in local schools. In the coming year, SBVP will move from providing staffing for oral health pilot projects in schools to integrating this work into the curriculum permanently; partner with Alternatives, Inc, to make oral health training a part of certification for child care center staff; and continue to work with the state oral health coalition to support and influence policy change advocacy. $70,800 will support staff time, local travel, communications materials development, and other meeting expenses. This proposal aligns with the Oral Health 2020 Goal 6 of improving the public perception of the value of oral health to overall health and the target that oral health is increasingly included in health dialogue and public policy.