Originally published by EdSource
Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a state budget that spared many vulnerable groups from punishing cuts. But the budget proposal failed to protect the state’s low-income children who depend on publicly funded dental care.
The governor is targeting $144 million in Medi-Cal Dental funding for kids, which some might consider “budget dust” in comparison to the state’s $350 billion budget. But in the Central Valley, that investment can determine whether students succeed or fall behind. Kids stay home when they are in pain, or if they do show up, they can’t concentrate.
I’ve spent four decades working with children in rural schools in the greater Fresno area. As a longtime employee and now current board member of the Selma Unified School District, I’ve met many of the young faces behind the numbers.
I’ve seen children walk in holding their cheeks in obvious pain from untreated dental issues. Working with our nursing staff, we moved quickly to get them care. We knew that a small problem can turn into a serious one if left untreated.
When care is delayed or neglected, emergency room visits for dental issues can cost more than $2,000. The state will likely end up paying more for ER visits than it will save by cutting children’s dental care.
Many of our students have hardworking, low-income parents who drop them off early and pick them up in the evening. Our Selma schools offer a haven for students. They get breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks — and occasional free dental care made possible through Medi-Cal Dental. This keeps children healthy and reduces strain on families and the health care system.
Dental issues are one of the most common reasons children miss school. More than 351,000 California children missed at least one day of school in 2022 because of dental problems. Cuts to this program would undo years of progress and deepen inequities in the Central Valley. We can’t leave the next generation behind simply because they lack access to proper care.
Statewide, dental-related absences cost school districts an estimated $60 million in 2022. That figure doesn’t account for children who come to school with a toothache and can’t concentrate. Sometimes they are in too much pain to eat, and their ability to learn suffers.
Preventive dental care protects education and health, yet it is too often out of reach. Only 47.6% of children enrolled in Medi-Cal used their dental benefits in 2022, a sign of how limited access already is in communities like ours.
California already ranks among the worst states for pediatric dental disease. It pains me to see health care deteriorating in my school district, where nearly 93% of students are considered in high need, meaning they are low-income, English learners, foster youth, or experiencing homelessness. For many families, accessing dental care is already difficult. Some must travel long distances or wait months for an appointment.
That’s why I’ve joined a coalition of dentists, educators, farmworkers, community leaders and local elected officials urging state lawmakers to reject Newsom’s proposed cuts to Medi-Cal Dental for children. Even in the face of a statewide deficit, lawmakers should not balance the books by cutting health care for the children who need it most.
Estella Kessler is the Area 4 trustee of the Selma Unified School District Board of Trustees and a member of the Central Valley Latino Mayors and Elected Officials Coalition.
