06 Jan 2013 CAPCA awarded grant
The Community Action Program for Central Arkansas (CAPCA) recently was awarded a $62,210 grant from The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas.
The funding is for the Oral Health and Healthy Nutrition for At-Risk Children – Building Strong Bodies and Teeth program offered in the CAPCA Head Start classrooms.
The grant – which is for 2013 – will allow all of the Arkansas-based Head Start centers that are a part of CAPCA to participate in receiving quality services to eligible participants, which will enhance lives, expand self-reliance and increase community involvement.
CAPCA’s goal is to reduce the oral health disparities and increase prevention while educating children on how to implement good oral health as well as healthy eating habits. By implementing this grant, these low-income children and families will take this knowledge of positive oral practices and healthy eating habits home with them and these practices will be implemented into the home environment, thus increasing prevention of dental problems, decreasing dental treatments and decreasing Body Mass Indexes (BMI) of children.
The grant will also be used to purchase equipment – such as toothbrush sanitizers for each Head Start classroom. The funding will also be used for oral health supplies and educational resources for teachers so that they can continue to be positive role models for appropriate oral health care and healthy nutrition on a daily basis.
In addition, CAPCA will focus on healthy nutrition and how foods and beverages directly impact teeth and overall physical health.
