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Each issue of the NPC
News Bulletin features a different theme and highlights Consortium
activities and maternal and child health, as well as other
health-related information for families. This issue focuses on
Oral health.
We invite you to visit the National
Parent Consortium website to learn more about who we are and what we
do.
NPC Member
Organizations:
Alliance for Children
and Families
Alliance To End Childhood
Lead Poisoning
The ASPIRA Association, Inc.
Brain Injury Association, Inc.
Children and Adults with
Attention Deficit Disorder
Family Support America
Families USA
Family Voices
Federation of Families for
Children's Mental Health
Head Start Resource and
Training Center
Immune Deficiency Foundation
Institute for Family-
Centered Care
La Leche League International
National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health
National Coalition for Parent
Involvement in Education
National Coalition of
Title I
Chapter 1 Parents
National Congress of
American Indians
National Council of
La Raza
National Family for the
Advancement of Minorities
with Disabilities
National Head Start
Association
National Lekotek Center
National Organization on
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
National Parent Network
on Disabilities
The National PTA
National Safety Council
Environmental Health Center
Specialized Training of
Military Parents
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The Face Of A Child
The Surgeon General views the oral health of children as a significant
public health issue. "The Face of a Child:" the Surgeon General's
Conference on Children and Oral Health, will be held on June 12-13, 2000 at
the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, D.C. Children's oral health is an
important but often forgotten part of their health and well-being. 'The
Face of a Child" will tell the story of children's health by considering
their oral health and by highlighting key policy issues related to equity,
access, and disparities in health outcomes. The conference will consider
the relationship between oral health and general health and well-being in
the light of new scientific knowledge and in the context of children's lives.
The conference goals are to:
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Highlight findings of the Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health
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Increase appreciation of the importance of oral health to overall health
and well-being, and of the need to integrate oral health into policy,
research, professional training, and medical care for children
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Engage the child health and welfare community and the public in a
discussion of ethical, legal, historical, and policy issues underlying all
areas of children's health
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Promote effective community partnerships and coalitions to eliminate
disparities in children's oral health
The conference will consider many themes and topics related to the goals
listed above: Oral health as an indicator of children's social and health
problems; Ensuring a healthy start for children by including oral health in
overall health; Ethics, laws, and health policies as tools to improve
children's health; and Effective partnerships that eliminate disparities
and improve children's health.
Presentations for and by parents at the Surgeon General's Conference
include: Linda Shepard, President of NPND, will moderate a panel discussion
on "Parents as Advocates;" Sue Swenson, Commissioner, Administration on
Developmental Disabilities, will present the "Parents' Perspective on
Access to Oral Health Care," and Jackie Golden of NPND will present "Oral
Health Recommendations from the NPC."
More information on the conference, along with the Press Release and
Executive Summary of the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health is
available on the Surgeon General's website at:
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/sgr/oralhealth.htm
Parent's Perspectives on Oral Health
The National Parent Consortium is organizing a parent' Pre-conference on
oral health as part of the Surgeon General's Conference on Oral Health. The
pre-conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, D.C.
on Sunday, June 11, 2000, from 12:30 to 5:00PM with a light reception
immediately following. The goal of the pre-conference is to make sure that
parents' voices are heard and their expectations make a contribution to
national planning and policy making on problems of children's oral health
in America. Parents will review findings of the Surgeon General's Report on
Children and Oral Health and provide input to a report on parents'
perspectives on children's oral health that will be presented at the
Surgeon General's Conference by Jackie Golden on Tuesday, June 13th.
The NPC pre-conference will provide an excellent opportunity for parents,
professionals and NPC organization leaders to ensure parental input into
national planning and resource allocation on one of the nation's most
important health care problems. Millions of American children and adults do
not have sufficient access to oral health services that can prevent
cavities, periodontal disease and other oral diseases, and the pain,
disabilities, and social costs that go along with untreated dental
problems. Too many American children live with debilitating, untreated
tooth pain. Parents' input is crucial to making good use of the
professional expertise that will be gathered together for the Surgeon
General's Conference on Oral Health. Experience has shown that parental
input can make a great contribution to policy and planning events like this
conference where many professionals and experts convene and try to work out
a coherent approach to policy. Parent views can keep the experts anchored
in the reality that parents and children actually experience, and make
their professional experience more useful for individuals and families.
We invite any local parents and professionals to join us on Sunday for the
NPC Parent's Pre- Conference. Please contact the NPND offices at:
202-463-2299 to register and for more information. You may also send an
e-mail to: npcmch@cs.net . We will provide an overview on both conferences
in a future issue of the NPC News Bulletin. |