It started with breakfast
Life can be challenging for children who live with chronic health conditions. When they also experience adverse family or community circumstances — poverty, foster care, substance abuse or the death of a parent — their chances of thriving decline dramatically. Child advocates and researchers have given this combination of medical and social challenges a name: health complexity.
In Douglas County, 4,262 children and youth — 28% of the under-21 population — experience health complexity, according to data analysis by Oregon Pediatric Improvement Partnership.
Yet many organizations serving medical, mental and behavioral health needs in rural areas of Oregon like Douglas County do not have the resources they need to adequately provide care for these children. The lack of affordable, accessible options for care means children and youth are in precarious circumstances.
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Community Vitality is a storytelling publication published since 2000. Send article ideas, questions or requests for past issues to communityvitality@tfff.org.
© 2000-2021 The Ford Family Foundation. Anne Kubisch, President; Mandy Elder, Editor; Megan Monson, Assistant Editor
The health of a community
Analicia Nicholson just started the biggest job she’s ever had: She’s the new superintendent of the Douglas Educational Service District. On a recent Zoom call, she shared her hopes, fears, and all... Read More
Recovery from wildfires remains a community task
Almost two years ago, the Almeda Fire engulfed over 2,500 homes in a community already struggling with a dire shortage of affordable housing units. The housing issue was worrisome, but it was only... Read More
Weaving Community
For Eugene artist Jovencio de la Paz, weaving is more than a medium. It’s an ancient craft with an important place in civilization’s history. It’s a place to share experiences, to have important... Read More
Planting seeds for a community building movement
“The Ford Institute Leadership Program’s vision of community vitality and building capacity has been realized in amazing ways in many communities,” explains Mary Ward from her Southern Oregon home... Read More
Equitable pathways to federal funding for rural Oregon
New funding opportunities from the federal government are adding urgency to an old concern — that rural Oregon continues to leave dollars on the table through unclaimed federal grant program funding... Read More
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