Needs Assessment 

A. General Data 
1. The Children’s Center, Inc (TCCI) has been operating for nearly 145 years and the TCCI
has served as a safe place for the youth and families. The center began as an orphanage and
transitioned into a human rights and social justice organization. Their locations span from the
Texas Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Mexico and provide prevention and intervention services
through outreach. The agency consists of a director, president, vice president, case managers,
community planners, and employees within the facility. The agency’s mission is to change
and save the lives of children, youth, families who are abandoned, abused, neglected, and
exploited through rescue, nurture, empowerment, and equality continuum of caring that
facilitates satisfying living opportunities. The program's funding comes from Membership,
fundraisers and charities such as The United Way, selling artesian coffee, and donations fund
the Children’s Center With multiple locations, in Beaumont, Houston, Galveston, Honduras,
and Mexico they are able to serve a wide variety of families and children in need. Citation #1 
 
2. Target Group 
On average each location has 4 full time staff members and a varying number of volunteers each month
ranging from 5 – 11. They see to the immediate safety and emergency medical needs of the individuals,
located a host home to provide emergency shelter to those in need. Also provide educational services such
as continued education in way of tutoring, psychoeducational groups, and community education. In
addition, they provide childcare services, transportation, housing and food. There are no current
educational minimum requirements for the volunteers, or the location staff employed in positions of
management. While board members typically have higher education. Staff and clinical interns on
assignment to the organization are from graduate programs. 

3. Description of services provided 

The full-time staff location manager coordinates the activates of their shelter and clients and the families
and children seeking assistance. They do not have any set schedules – all services are provided on case-
by-case basis and individual need. One of their goals is to expand assistance to the children and families
at the border. The daily routine is also provided on a case-by-case basis. In order to screen a possible
client each individual has their basic medical needs assessed and treated if needed, emergency food and
shelter is provided, counseling services are provided if needed, no basic dental needs are screened for or
met, only emergency dental needs are met.  A 24-hour crisis line is available to call to reach a crisis
response team. 

B. Information Related to Dental Health 

They are provided with toothbrushes and toothpaste. But there are no preventative measures taken only
for treatment of dental emergencies. There is limited supplies and there is no way to assess the staff’s
dental knowledge. There has never been a dental program established.  All locations are in desperate need
of oral health program implementation 

C. Dental Health Status 

1. dental caries – untreated statistics 

2015– 2017–
Characteristic  
2016   2018  
Ages 5–17          
Total   13.9   11.9  
Poverty status      
Below 100% poverty   19.9   18.9  
100%–199% poverty   17.7   16.0  
200% poverty and
9.8   7.3 
above  
 
Direct correlation of poverty level and caries incidences. Higher caries rate in those that are lower
in poverty level. 
 
Page Break 
2. Periodontal Disease 

  20-64 years 65 years of

of age age and
older

 
Characteristics Pocket Pocket
depth in depth in
mm mm
   
Race/ethnicity    
 Non-Hispanic white 0.96 (0.02) 1.04 (0.03)
 Non-Hispanic Black 1.19 (0.03) 1.27 (0.07)
 Mexican American 1.16 (0.04) 1.17 (0.06)
Education (years)    
 < 12 1.25 (0.03) 1.23 (0.04)
 12 1.04 (0.03) 0.98 (0.04)
 >12 0.95 (0.03) 1.06 (0.03)
Poverty Status    
 < 100% 1.16 (0.03) 1.27 (0.06)
 100%-199% 1.14 (0.03) 1.10 (0.04)
 ≥ 200% 0.96 (0.02) 1.03 (0.03)

Pocket depths are higher in older patients and people of color. 

3. Oral Health 

Characteristic   2015   2016   2017   2018   2019 

Ages 2–4                      
Total   63.2   63.9   65.7   65.0   67.7  
Poverty status   
b
                   
Below 100% poverty   67.7   62.9   65.5   71.6   70.3  
100%–199% poverty   59.2   66.2   61.8   63.0   66.0  
200% poverty and above   62.9   63.3   67.2   63.5   67.5  
Type of insurancec                      
Private insuranced   61.2   62.1   66.2   64.0   66.2  
Public insuranced,e   67.5   69.2   66.6   68.9   71.6  
No insurance   ‡   37.8   ‡   ‡   ‡ 
Oral health awareness increases with insurance coverage, as well as their participation in dental care. 

Goal Statements:
To provide knowledge and skills in improving oral health for the staff and residents of The Children’s
Center INC. 

Objective Statement 
To increase the dental health knowledge and access of the volunteers and staff by 50%. 
Design a fluoride rinse program for the volunteers to administer without our supervision. 
Demonstrate and educate volunteers on how to assess the basic needs of the clients. 

Rationale: 
Based on the dental health status, the prevalence of oral health awareness has increased in communities
with insurance coverage as well as their participation in dental care. However, The residents at The
Children Center fall below the poverty line and are unable to receive dental insurance, there are extreme
differences by income, education and resources, with those in poverty twice as likely as those with
insurance. In 2016, only 37% of the population with no insurance had oral health awareness. There was
also an increase in dental caries in people who fell below the poverty line.

Due to the lack of education and resources for basic dental needs the volunteers have, results in residents
not obtaining the dental knowledge to provide oral care. (1) Volunteers and staff’s education in dental
health is unsatisfactory (3). Studies show that oral health is a low priority. There main focus is to provide
a safe haven for youth and families (1). There were no specific routine for assisting oral health care (3).
The main responsibility depends on each individual. According to the administrator of The Children’s
Center, Inc., residents are provided with toothbrushes and toothpaste but there are no preventative
measures taken only for treatment of dental emergencies (3). Limited income and lack of oral health
programs are only two of the barriers residents faced needing dental care (8). Other barriers include not
understanding or seeing the need for regular dental care.

Providing volunteers and staff with education on oral health will have positive impact on awareness and
betterment of their home-bound patients.

Program Design: 
 
A. Activities 
The purpose of our oral health program is to increase the awareness of volunteers and administrators with
regard to their patient’s oral health. The discussions will include teaching basic dental health, oral hygiene
practices, and fluoride rinse administration. The sessions will be performed once a year at The Children’s
Center facility. The sessions will be presented in the following: 
1. Session 1 (week 1) 
a. Volunteers and Administrators 
Presentation of overall oral health related to oral health in the new clients. 
1. Administer a pre test regarding general oral health knowledge to the volunteers and
administrators 
2. Present the PowerPoint presentation on how oral health is important and the basics on
brushing and flossing 
3. Have the administrators practice administering a pre test like they would to a new
incoming client. 
4. Have the volunteers and administrators practice brushing and flossing 
 5. Administer a post test to the volunteers and the administrators regarding their general oral
health knowledge  
 
2. Sessions 2 (week 2) 
a. Greater Houston Dental Association 
Presentation on the prevalence of lack of dental care in the homeless and poverty level members of their
community and the need for funding for the development of a fluoride rinse program. 
1. Presentation on the prevalence of poverty in their community 
2. Presentation on the importance of funding and the lack there of financing for the fluoride
rinse program. 
3. Provide a sign up sheet for volunteers to donate to the program 
4. Sign up sheet for volunteer dentist participation at The Children’s Center/ 
 
3. Session 3 (week 3) 
a. Volunteers and administration 
Presentation on the importance of a fluoride rinse and how it lowers the caries risk. 
1. Administer a pre test for the volunteers and administrators on fluoride and how it lowers
the caries risk 
2. Presentation on fluoride rinse program works and how they will implement this with new
clients. 
3. Have volunteers practice administering a post test they will give new clients 
4. Have volunteers and administrators practice administering the fluoride rinse on each
other. 
5. Administer a post test to test the knowledge of the fluoride rinse program. 
 
B. Constraints and Alternative Strategies 
1. Constraint: Location large enough to accommodate hygiene students and volunteer participants. 
Alternative: 1. provide an online webinar to cover the pre and post test, as well as the presentation. 2.
Provide a written presentation and testing materials by mail to the center for self-education. 3. provide a
self-paced presentation on an online website 
2. Constraint: Securing funding for the fluoride rinse, toothbrushes, and dental personnel to attend the
education sessions. 
Alternative: 1. Contact a new vendor asking for funding and donations. 2. Ask another dental association
for funds. 3. Further presentations explaining the dire need for donations. 
3. Constraint: No dental student participants to educate the volunteers 
Alternative: 1. Have local dental hygienists go to the center to educate the volunteers. 2. Offer an online
education website for the volunteers to complete. 3. Provide the center with educational pamphlets. 
 
C. Resources 
The following resources will be required for implementation of the program: 
1. Personnel: 
The volunteers and administrators of The Children’s Center, the dental hygiene students from LIT (for 1 st
and 3rd session), members of the Greater Houston Dental Association (2 nd session only) 
2. Visual Aids: 
a. PowerPoint of healthy and unhealthy oral cavity. b. Flip chart to demonstrate proper brushing and
flossing. c. Typodont and toothbrush provided by the clinicians 
3. Supplies: 
a. Toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss (10 kits).  b. Cups, disclosing solution, fluoride rinse, gloves, cotton
swabs, paper napkins, – provided by LIT Dental Hygiene Clinic and Colgate. 
4. Evaluation Material: 
a. Pretest-one form b. Post-test – same form for general oral health, and a pretest-one form and post-test –
same form for fluoride rinse  
5. Supplements:  pre test and post test for the new clients at the center. 
 
Citations:
“About TCCI.” The Children’s Center, Inc., 2021, thechildrenscenterinc.org/about/. Accessed 22 Mar.
2022. 
‌Borrell, L. N., & Crawford, N. D. (2012). Socioeconomic position indicators and periodontitis: examining
the evidence. Periodontology 2000, 58(1), 69–83. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0757.2011.00416.x