Oral health education for preschool-aged children

Research indicates that children learn more in their first five years than at any other time in their lives, laying the foundation for future success. WDS Foundation is taking advantage of this opportunity to address oral health in early learning settings. In 2001, WDS Foundation created the oral health curriculum, “Cavity Free Kids,” for Head Start, preschool, child care and home visiting programs. The curriculum includes both classroom activities for children and education for parents. WDS Foundation offers Cavity Free Kids training and materials at no charge in Washington State. Head Start and child care programs in 16 states and territories have been trained to use the curriculum.

WDS Foundation also provides critical oral health information to pregnant women, infants and toddlers using the CFK curriculum, “An Early Start.” WDS Foundation offers “An Early Start” trainings to Early Head Start programs in Washington and other states.

We are expanding our efforts in Washington by enhancing partnerships with Thrive by Five Washington, the Department of Early Learning, Head Start, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), and other early learning organizations to impact the oral health of more children and families.

Research indicates that children learn more in their first five years than at any other time in their lives, laying the foundation for future success. WDS Foundation is taking advantage of this opportunity to address oral health in the early learning environment. In 2001, WDS Foundation created the oral health curriculum, “Cavity Free Kids,” for Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Programs (ECEAP). The curriculum includes both classroom activities for children and education for parents. WDS Foundation offers Cavity Free Kids training and materials at no charge in Washington State, and has trained 85 percent of Head Start programs since 2003. Head Start programs in another 11 states and territories have been trained to use the curriculum as well.

WDS Foundation also provides critical oral health information to pregnant women, infants and toddlers using the CFK curriculum, “An Early Start.” WDS Foundation offers “An Early Start” trainings to Early Head Start programs in Washington and other states.

We are expanding our efforts in Washington state by enhancing partnerships with Thrive by Five, Washington State Department of Early Learning, Washington Head Start, Child Care Resource and Referral Network, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), to impact the oral health of more children and families.

For more information about our early learning work and the Cavity Free Kids curriculum visit www.cavityfreekids.org or contact Allison Cusick at acusick@deltadentalwa.com