In 2015, Reach Out and Read launched our oral health program in Ohio in collaboration with the Delta Dental Foundation. This year, we are pleased to announce that the program is expanding into Michigan. The Children’s Hospital of Michigan, the Canton Health Center, the Northville Health center and Covenant Community Care are all now participating in the oral health program!
During regular wellness check-ups at these participating locations, children are now given brand-new, age-appropriate books that specifically deal with establishing and maintaining oral health. Not only does the new program help promote life-long oral health, it also continues to improve parent and child bonding around reading aloud together.
This exciting opportunity would not have come to fruition without the help of the Delta Dental Foundation. “On behalf of our families and our entire network I want to thank Delta Dental for their continued partnership of this program,” says Brian Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer of Reach Out and Read. “For the first two years they have allowed us to distribute 16,000 books to the children and families in need in Ohio. Now in our third year, I am equally thrilled to report that with Delta Dental’s support our expansion into Michigan will allow us to distribute an additional 15,000 books via our medical champions in Michigan.”
With the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the program’s implementation to 27,600 children in Ohio, we are excited to expect to achieve similar starting results for an expected 3,400 children and families in Michigan! We sincerely thank Delta Dental for making this new program possible, and look forward to its continued development and expansion.