Wayne County on Monday approved a retroactive contract with the county's federally qualified health center to implement a kindergarten oral health assessment program that will screen entering kindergartners and first graders and link children and families to dental care.

Dr. Sheff, chief medical officer for the Wayne County Department of Health, Human and Veteran Services, told commissioners the contract with Wayne County Healthy Communities is retroactive because the state provided funding through an amendment that arrived in May. "The effective date of the grant is January 1, and so we wanted to ensure that we were able to support our partners in the planning and development of this program during that time," Dr. Sheff said.

The program will provide oral health screenings for incoming kindergarteners and first graders, identify oral health issues early and navigate families to care, county staff said. County officials said the department began planning and development with the FQHC so the program would be ready for the upcoming school year.

The contract was part of the Health and Human Services committee report, which the commission approved during the meeting. Commissioner Martha G. Scott moved approval of the committee's 13 items; the motion carried. The record shows Commissioner Maricki abstained on item 7 of that report; no abstention was recorded for the oral health item.

County staff said the state supplied the funding by amendment and the department certified those funds before engaging the FQHC in contracting. The program is described as a partnership between the county and the FQHC to screen children and connect them with care; the county did not specify expected program budget totals or vendor contract dollar amounts in the floor discussion.