Filling the Gap in Community Health and Child Care Services in Rural Oregon
By Carol Dennis
Two new facilities to support families in Polk and Marion
counties are preparing to open. The Central Health and Wellness Center, and the
Central Child Development Center will provide comprehensive, wrap-around
services addressing health, mental health, disabilities, nutrition, and
infant/toddler development within the rural Oregon communities of Monmouth and
Independence.
A dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony took place on Thursday, June 25, on the property of the Central School District – 1601 Monmouth Street in Independence.
The Health & Wellness Center
The Health & Wellness Center is a certified school based health center with West Valley Hospital serving as the medical sponsor. According to a Polk County spokesperson, “While the primary audience will be Central School District students, services will also be open to the entire community.”
In collaboration with West Valley Hospital, Capitol Dental, and the Polk County Family and Community Outreach department have provided the vision and leadership to develop the school-based health center, which will work in tandem with the infant/toddler center.
The Central
Child Development Center
The center is a one of a kind in Polk County, offering an observation room where high school and college students interested in a career in early childhood can observe professional early learning environments.
“It’s been a wonderful, countywide, collaboration to help teen parents and their infant/toddler children get the support they all need to be successful in life,” says Ingrid Amerson, Director of the TRI-CDC. “The primary goal is keeping the teen parents in school, teaching them positive parenting skills, and giving their young children a solid foundation to begin a lifetime of learning.”
Children and parents receiving services from the infant/toddler center will also be able to receive well-baby checkups and other health services at the adjoining Health and Wellness Center. The Central Child Development Center will officially open in the fall with the start of the school year.
The Health and Wellness Center is located on the Central School District campus and will meet the need for local health care. Services will include primary care, behavioral health, and dental services, all with a special focus on prevention. Hours of operation will be 8:00-4:30 Monday through Friday.
Thanks for the support
A special thanks to the organizations whose support and generous funding have made this possible: The Spirit Mountain Community Fund; Myer Memorial Trust Foundation; The Ford Family Foundation; Kaiser Permanente Foundation; and the Marion Polk Early Learning Hub, Inc.
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