No Child Should Suffer From Vaccine Preventable Diseases

Through their Care Van® Program, this week’s Featured Charity is dedicated to providing improved access to immunizations for medically uninsured and underserved children in Texas.

What our organization does:

Caring for Children Foundation of Texas exists because we believe no child should suffer from vaccine preventable diseases. We operate one signature program – the Care Van^® Program which provides access to immunizations for uninsured and medically underserved children. Using a fleet of specially customized mobile immunization “Care Vans”, the program is able to complement traditional health facilities by visiting schools, churches, community centers, restaurants and shopping malls to conduct mobile immunization outreach in the communities where medical and/or public health services are limited. We provide services to children who have no insurance, under-insured, and those on Medicaid. Since the program’s launch, nearly 720,000 children have received more than 1.1 million immunizations; a significant achievement in the area of public health. 

What Community Need We’re Solving:

Vaccines offer safe and effective protection from infectious diseases. Sadly, it is estimated that 1 in 4 children living in Texas go without all the necessary immunizations to lead healthy, happy lives due to a lack of affordability and access to medical care.  We know that vaccines work, and we believe every child in Texas should receive all age-appropriate vaccines. Immunizations gives the kids we serve a chance to lead a healthier life. Nearly 80% of families we serve do not have a medical home, lack access to public health facilities and/or live in areas where there is vaccine shortage.  To help address these challenges, we work with community partners throughout Texas to identify these neighborhoods and expanded our services by offering additional school-based clinics. We are committed to improving the health outcomes of children in Texas.  

In addition to immunizations, through our Care Van^® Program we also examined the need for oral health care in some of the communities we serve. As a result, we teamed with both private and public dental collaborators in San Antonio, Waco and Laredo to conduct dental outreach. This outreach is conducted at local head start and elementary schools in the aforementioned cities. Our vans are used to transport dental equipment and supplies to provide free dental screenings and sealants to children at various school sites. Since 2008, through these collaborations, more than 148,000 children have received free oral health screenings. 

How Individuals & Companies Can Help Us Make an Impact:

Caring for Children Foundation of Texas serves nearly 80 counties throughout Texas. The Care Van^® Program was formed to provide community immunization coalitions with a mobile outreach tool to reach uninsured families in the communities where they live, work and shop. It’s the only statewide program of this kind in Texas!

Our mobile outreach is only possible through the support of community organizations serving as host sites, more than 1,200 volunteers and generous donors like you. Immunizations continue to be one of the most direct, easiest and least expensive ways to build a healthier future for a child. A $10 donation will help immunize one child with lifesaving vaccine to prevent polio, meningitis, pertussis or even chicken pox.

One hundred percent of your tax-deductible donation goes to providing nurses and medical supplies needed to operate the Care Van^® Program. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas provides all administrative expenses for the Caring for Children Foundation and Care Van^® Program fleet. The Caring for Children Foundation of Texas accepts all types of gifts from corporate sponsorships garnering name recognition on a Care Van to in-kind donations of medical gloves to printing health education materials for families. You can also double or triple the number of children you can help with your donation by enrolling in your employer’s matching gift program.

If you are a federal employee, it’s easy to support our Care Van^® Program through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) – just enter CFC# 87310 (click here to learn more about workplace giving and the CFC).

Together, we can build healthier futures, one child at a time! 

Our thanks to Caring for Children Foundation of Texas for helping us learn more about their work!  To learn more about their impact and to connect with them, visit www.carevan.org or click here.