Healthy Family Initiative
Healthy Family Initiative (HFI):
The Junior League of Charlotte’s community programs, projects and advocacy are all focused on the physical, dental and mental health needs of children aged 0-17 years and their families in the Charlotte community.
Dental Health
The Junior League of Charlotte will:
- Provide education and awareness for the community on the dental health issues facing children ages 0-17 years.
- In partnership with community, develop programs focusing on preventative dental health for children age 0-17.
- Encourage ongoing community dialogue regarding dental health needs of children and their families to foster long term solutions.
Facts To Know
- The Surgeon General deems dental health in our children a “silent epidemic”. Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases 5 times more common than asthma.
- 1 out of every 4 children in America is born into poverty. Children living in poverty suffer twice the tooth decay as their more affluent peers.
- Oral problems can impact self-esteem, cause pain and unnecessary suffering leading to problems eating, speaking and attending to learning. More than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental related illness.
- Preventive care can help reduce many dental problems. The most effective preventive agent for tooth decay is fluoride.
- The Partnership for Children’s Dental Health housed at Community Health Services provide some statistics:
- 4 out of 5 children entering kindergarten in Mecklenburg County have untreated decay.
- 4 out of 5 children with Medicaid can’t access dental care.
- Out of 443 licensed dentists in Mecklenburg County only 11 currently accept Medicaid.
- Nearly 50% of children entering CMS kindergarten have never seen a dentist.
Mental Health
The Junior League of Charlotte will:
- Focus on educating the community about mental health issues
- Help to provide additional support where needed
- Assist in removing the stigma associated with children’s mental health issues
Facts To Know
- 10-12% of NC children experience serious emotional disturbances (SED)
- Suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death for ages 15-24 in Charlotte 2002
- According to the 2001 NC youth Risk Behavior Survey, 20.8% of middle school students reported in 2001 that they had seriously thought about killing themselves
- In 1997, 11.3% of middle school students and 8.8% of high school students reported that they had tried to kill themselves.
- The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill tell us “the best treatments for serious mental illness today are highly effective; between 70 and 90 percent of individuals [both adults and children] have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports.”
Physical Health
The Junior League of Charlotte will:
- Provide education and awareness for the community on the physical health issues facing children ages 0-17 years
- Increase awareness of the lack of services available to adequately identify and care for children with health related issues
- Partner with the community to develop programs focusing on preventative physical health education to improve the lives of children age 0-17
- Provide support for the families of children that have physical health needs
- Encourage ongoing community dialogue regarding physical health needs of children and their families to foster long term solution.
Facts To Know
- Recent studies indicate childhood obesity to be an epidemic. The number of overweight children has doubled in the last 20 years
- Adolescents get 11% of their calories of sugar from soft drinks. Soft drinks not only contribute significant amounts of calories and sugar to children and adolescents diets; they are replacing milk as the beverage of choice. Only 36% of boys and 14% of girls are getting enough calcium.
- Research shows that there is a direct link between good nutrition and the ability to learn, play, grow and develop. Well-nourished children have higher test scores, better school attendance and fewer behavior problems.
- North Carolina currently has a higher percentage of overweight children than the national average
- Overweight children and adolescents are likely to experience other health issues such as:
- Type 2 diabetes also known as adult-onset diabetes
- High cholesterol and blood pressure levels which are risk factors for heart disease
- Sleep apnea, which can lead to problems with learning and memory
- High incidence of orthopedic problems, liver disease and asthma
- Have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults