Children & Families

In 2011, OCF invested more than $33 million in programs supporting young people and families across the state. In 2012, the OCF board of directors named children’s oral health as a statewide priority for the Foundation, which means that we will not only continue to invest in local health programs, but also foster change in broad policies to ensure that all children in Oregon have access to dental care.

Children's Dental Health Initiative

Oregon has one of the country’s highest rates of childhood dental disease, which is the most common chronic disease affecting U.S. children. The causes of this silent epidemic include inadequate education, economic hardship and limited access to services.

To address this crisis, OCF has funded important children’s dental health initiatives for Southern Willamette Valley and the South Coast, and it has also established the Oral Health Funders Collaborative.

Our goal is to build partnerships with other funders to improve children’s dental health statewide through such measures as bringing dental screening and services into schools, educating Oregonians on the preventable toll of dental disease, and developing infrastructure that will provide wider access to dental care.

Staff Assistance

To learn more about the Children's Dental Health Initiative, please contact:

To learn more about the Oral Health Funders Collaborative, please contact: