January 25, 2013 – Philadelphia, PA – Kids Smiles, a nonprofit children’s dental care organization, has received more than $110,000 in grants from three major Philadelphia foundations to support its services in 2013. Independence Blue Cross Foundation, The Philadelphia Foundation, and First Hospital Foundation have all committed to supporting Kids Smiles’ mission of providing quality dental health care and education to underserved children. Each foundation has maintained a partnership with the organization spanning several years, through which financial and other resources have contributed to the growth and impact of Kids Smiles services, reaching more than 250,000 children in the greater Philadelphia region.
Cheryl Janssen, Kids Smiles’ CEO, said the funds would be used to provide children with dental health care that they otherwise might not receive, and education to help children form healthy oral care habits. “Through their generous, ongoing support, these three foundations continue to encourage and support our nonprofit community by providing important resources for the Philadelphia area. At Kids Smiles, we are honored by the recognition from such prestigious institutions and are grateful for their ongoing partnership, which enables us to improve the health of thousands of children each year,” said Ms. Janssen.
Kids Smiles was founded in 2001 by Joseph R. Greenberg, D.M.D. to provide oral health care and education programs to children who experienced the greatest barriers to accessing care. Today, Kids Smiles serves 300-400 children per month through two Philadelphia dental centers and provides education and dental screenings to more than 20,000 children through school and community program visits annually.
About Kids Smiles
Kids Smiles is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dental care organization with centers in Philadelphia, PA and Washington, DC. It provides preventive and restorative dental care to children in underserved communities, and creates health empowerment education programs focusing on the prevention of dental disease and the development of positive personal health behaviors. Kids Smiles non-profit dental centers treat more than 60,000 children through their dental homes. Eighty-five percent of Kids Smiles patients use state funded insurance; 13% have private insurance and the remainder are uninsured.
About the Independence Blue Cross Foundation
In October 2011, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, launched a charitable, private foundation, whose mission is to transform health care through innovation in the communities it serves. The IBC Foundation and Independence Blue Cross, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, are both committed to improving the health and wellness of the people of southeastern Pennsylvania. The foundation targets the following areas of impact:
- Caring for our most vulnerable: Supporting nonprofit community health center clinics that deliver quality, cost-effective primary, medical, and dental care to uninsured and underinsured people.
- Enhancing health care delivery: Strengthening the nursing workforce through education, career development, and research.
- Building healthy communities: Partnering with community leaders and programs to address community health and wellness needs.
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About The Philadelphia Foundation
Since 1918, The Philadelphia Foundation has been committed to improving the quality of life in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. It links those with financial resources to those who serve societal needs. The foundation grows the more than 800 charitable funds established by its donors and distributes about $20 million annually in grants and scholarships to about 1,000 effective nonprofit organizations. Through its support, the Foundation builds healthy communities, strengthens children and families, advances economic opportunities and enhances culture and recreation. For more information, please visit www.philafound.org.
About First Hospital Foundation
Established in 1997, the First Hospital Foundation is a private foundation that supports nonprofit organizations whose programs and services improve the health and well-being of vulnerable and underserved populations in Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks counties. Since its inception, the Foundation has provided more than $15.2 million in grants to nonprofits serving those in need. The Foundation values innovative approaches to the delivery of health care and believes that working collaboratively with others increases the collective ability to advance knowledge in the field and make a positive difference in the health of vulnerable populations. The Foundation’s priorities include improvement of access to health care by the underserved, especially the uninsured and underinsured; meeting behavioral health needs; promotion of the health and well-being of children and families; and education, training and advocacy to improve health care outcomes.
