2006 Promising Projects — Enhancing the Lives of Children and Their Families

Persistent social ills have taken a toll on west Michigan classrooms, siphoning scare resources from classroom instruction and challenging educators to master not only their core subject area, but also the intricacies of the community child welfare system, including child abuse and neglect, mental health and family instability. In response, the Frey Foundation joined other local funders to help launch the Kent Student Services Network (Network), a pilot program based on evidence-based national models that features a coordinated, focused approach to meeting individual needs of at-risk students.

The Network strategically co-locates community health and human services within schools to help provide a more supportive school climate for children and their families. Planned outcomes include better attendance, less mobility and improved student achievement. This highly collaborative effort has the potential to heavily influence the allocation of public resources long term. Encouraging public investment in prevention is a key strategy in Frey Foundation efforts to better prepare children for success in school and in life.

The Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, in partnership with the Northwest Community Health Agency, was awarded a grant to conduct a clinical demonstration of the effects of Xylitol when used by toddlers (24-48 months) and their caregivers in reducing levels of tooth decay. Xylitol, also called wood sugar or birch sugar, is a natural sweetener found in many fruits and vegetables that tastes and looks like sugar but without the negative side effects. Studies suggest that when Xylitol is introduced to young children in the form of a hygienic, disposable wipes or a tooth gel, dental health outcomes can be greatly improved.

Tooth decay remains one of the most common diseases of childhood; 5 times as common as asthma and 7 times as common as hay fever. Children and adolescents living in poverty suffer twice as much tooth decay as their more affluent peers, and their disease is more likely to go untreated. This statistic bears itself for some Northern Michigan counties, including Charlevoix and Emmet, where dental treatment under general anesthesia is twice the national average for pediatric patients under the age of 4. In these cases, hospital costs can range from $5,000 to $7,000 per patient.

This project holds promise for improving outcomes for young children, while respecting of the role of their parents and that of the broader community and is illustrative of a model project for the Frey Foundation.