Everychild 2000 Grant: QueensCare

Everychild’s inaugural grant was to QueensCare, to operate its Mobile Dental Program in Los Angeles Unified schools, where 75% or more of the students qualify for the federal free lunch program. The program designers initially planned to station the 48-foot trailer with three dental “operatories” at each school for two months. However, due to the extensive oral disease of so many students and the high demand for services, the program remained at the first school for six months, and the annual schedule was then rearranged to take needed extensions into account.

Over the years, the program, staffed by USC School of Dentistry Fellows, has grown and dramatically improved the health of the children it serves. There are now four mobile dental units, each with three chairs, providing free preventive and restorative dental services to nearly 2,000 K-6th graders each year. The demand is consistently high, with LAUSD regularly requesting that the Mobile Dental Program visit new schools in need of oral health services.