“I am extremely thankful to Head Start for many things, but most importantly because they gave me my smile back.” - Jolene Carder, Head Start parent

Jolene Carder was feeling the effects of poor oral health by age 20. Her teeth were causing her severe pain, and she felt so embarrassed by her appearance that she would cover her mouth to speak or laugh. Jolene explored many avenues to find help with her teeth; one dentist gave her a quote of $20,000 to tackle the extensive work she would require. In January 2005, Jolene, then 7 months pregnant, waited for twelve and a half hours to have only a minimum amount of work done. “They didn’t look any better, but at least they didn’t hurt so badly.”

In the winter of 2006, Jolene’s family was accepted into an Early Head Start program. At this time, she was told that there was a program available to help new and expectant mothers pay for dental work. Although Jolene was initially skeptical, she spoke with her Family Support Worker and set up her first appointment with dental hygienist Stephanie Augustine. The wait for approval was excruciating, but by August 2007, all of Jolene’s work was complete.

“I’m a mother of five kids and I believe that I represent my family. If I don’t look taken care of, that hurts their image also. Now I can smile and have my kids be as proud of that as I am. Thanks again, Head Start, you’re definitely changed my life!”