The health of a community can only be as strong as the well-being of its citizens. Through grants awarded in this area, the Foundation seeks to address societal issues associated with family disintegration, family planning, child support, teenage parenting, domestic violence, children's health and well-being, child abuse and neglect, hunger, food self-sufficiency and homelessness.
The Foundation also supports advocacy programs for better health care and social services for children and youth as well as for a comprehensive system of universal health care. Of particular concern is the support of efforts to combat childhood lead paint poisoning and mental health disorders. Furthermore, the Foundation continues to provide opportunities for low-income families to live in quality housing in good neighborhoods in the region. While the Foundation's primary focus is on the development of permanent housing, it also will consider emergency and transitional housing.
Areas of interest include:

• family planning and reproductive health
• HIV/AIDS
• oral health
• hunger and nutrition
• housing and homelessness
• recreation
• youth development
• children's mental health
• public health
• school-based health services
• community-based health clinic
• health care for the uninsured

Learn more about the health and human services initiatives funded by The Abell Foundation by visiting Publications/Research. More information is also available in our Highlights below.

Health & Human Services Highlights

Baltimore HealthCare Access – Fluoride Varnish Project
Untreated tooth decay is widespread among children, and can lead to serious problems, including problems with eating, speaking, and attending to learning activities. Unfortunately, children from low income families face significant barriers to accessing oral health care. A shortage of pediatric dentists coupled with inadequate Medicaid reimbursements have resulted in few dentists who are willing to treat low-income children, leaving many of these children without a regular source of oral health care. In 2007, Baltimore HealthCare Access initiated a pilot project to provide fluoride varnish – a safe and effective treatment that has been shown to reduce tooth decay by 30% to 50% – to children during routine pediatric health care visits. By delivering this care to children at their pediatricians’ offices the project aims to greatly expand the number of children on Medicaid who receive preventive oral health care.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Maryland – Amachi Mentoring Program
An estimated 26,000 Maryland children have experienced parental incarceration, while an estimated 2.4 Million children in the United States have a parent currently in jail or prison. This involuntary and often traumatic separation of children from their parents can lead to long-lasting detrimental effects on a child’s emotional, psychological, developmental and financial well-being. In an effort to address the unique and significant needs of children of incarcerated parents, Big Brothers Big Sisters developed the Amachi mentoring program, which matches supportive adult mentors with children whose parents are incarcerated.

Towson University – Helping Up Mission Oral Health Care Project
Homeless persons are disproportionately at risk for oral health problems, which can lead to serious health complications, in addition to causing unnecessary pain and suffering. In addition, visible dental problems such as rotting or missing teeth, which are common among the homeless population, can undermine an individual’s search for employment, as employers may be reluctant to hire someone with these problems. In 2006, the Towson University Department of Nursing launched a pilot oral health care project at the Helping Up Mission, a nonprofit, faith-based organization that provides housing, supportive services, and residential substance abuse treatment, to homeless men in East Baltimore.

Center for Promotion of Child Development Through Primary Care
Nearly 21 percent of U.S. children aged 9 to 17 have diagnosable mental health disorders, and 10 percent suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause significant impairment. Fewer than 20 percent of these children receive any mental health treatment, and most of these receive services only in schooL The Center for Promotion of Child Development Through Primary Care, founded by two Johns Hopkins pediatricians, aims to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of children with mental health disorders through the development of a computerized mental health assessment tool designed to be used during routine pediatric visits.

Housing Authority of Baltimore City - Section 8 Mobility Counseling Program
The federal Section 8 housing subsidy program has the potential to enable families to escape the concentrated poverty and blight of the inner city, and move to safer neighborhoods with greater educational and employment opportunities. In practice, however, families seeking to move out of the inner city face many barriers. To help address these barriers, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City contracted with two private agencies to provide counseling and supportive services to families with Section 8 vouchers.

University of Maryland Medical System -- Breathmobile
Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood, and left untreated, can result in hospitalization and even death. Each year, thousands of Maryland residents are hospitalized with asthma and tens of thousands are treated in emergency rooms (ER) for asthma. With proper care, both ER visits and hospitalizations can be avoided, but many Baltimore City children lack access to asthma specialists who can provide them with an appropriate care plan. The University of Maryland Breathmobile seeks to bridge this gap by delivering specialty asthma care to children in their schools and communities.

Visit the Grantmaking section to learn about the steps involved in making a grant application and to see other recently funded grants.