Bethany for Children and Families has already reached more than 1,600 people in the 2025-26 school year, nearly matching their total from last year. The organization aims to reach even more children, focusing on kids without private health insurance. On Monday, Bethany received a $10,000 grant from Delta Dental of Illinois to help them achieve this goal.
“We would like to see children five days a week,” said Jacquelyn Richardson, a dentist with Bethany. “We’re almost there.”
Bethany operates a mobile dental clinic, traveling around the Quad Cities in a bus equipped with three dental stations. This setup allows dentists to provide preventative teeth cleaning directly at schools. The mobile clinic helps parents avoid the challenge of fitting dental appointments into busy schedules.
“These children wouldn’t get these experiences with the dentist, so we’re just here to try to reach those kids,” Richardson said. “We just want to give them that positive experience with a dentist. Sometimes it’s their first interaction, and we can show them what dental health can be like in a positive, happy place.”
In the long term, Bethany hopes to partner with local dentists to offer restorative care. The mobile bus does not have the equipment or space to treat cavities or provide advanced dental services. Richardson said she wants to help fill that gap.
“After the children come to us and receive their preventative care,” Richardson said, “we want to find a home where they can actually get their fillings and the care they need.”