Giving families health options ensures that children will remain healthy while pursuing education.  See how United Way works within the community to ensure that Omaha area children have access to primary medical care, vaccinations and other important health-related services.

Did you know?

Infants born into poverty have a higher chance of morbidity due to inadequate access to routine and preventative healthcare¹.

Lack of insurance coverage makes medical costs unmanageable for low income families. Alternative medical options are necessary to make sure children are getting the healthcare they need to grow up healthy. That's why Children's Healthcare is this week's Issue At Hand.

What are some major issues in children’s healthcare?

Right now, the declining rate of vaccinations in young children is a cause for alarm.

Whether it’s the parents inability to pay for immunizations or a lack of education on their importance, thousands of children begin school each year without proper vaccinations, including over 1,000 kindergarten-age children in Nebraska alone². By funding healthcare for lower income families, United Way donors ensure that all families will have access to these important vaccines and be protected from life-threatening illnesses that could begin to spread through schools and the community.

Did you know?

In a study of the effects of perinatal and environmental factors, children born to women in poverty had an increased incidence of neonatal health problems due to the stresses of poverty on mothers³.

By providing new mothers with pregnancy classes and proper healthcare, their babies have a better chance of developing into healthy children. United Way agencies work with low-income mothers by providing the healthcare necessary to have a successful pregnancy and to make sure their babies develop normally. 

As a United Way partner agency, OneWorld Community Health Centers works with families to give children the best possible medical care, no matter their financial situation.

Their facility offers medical, dental and pharmaceutical services to families, placing all of their medical needs under one roof for a no-hassle experience. See how one mother depends on OneWorld to help her children grow up healthy:

¹ Aber, J. Lawrence, Neil G. Bennett, Dalton C. Conley, and Jiali Li. "The Effects of Poverty on Child Health and Development." Annual Review Public Health 18 (1997): 463-83. Web. 19 Dec. 2011.
² Chatterjee, M.D., Archanna. "Declining Vaccination Rate Endangers." Omaha World-Herald 14 Dec. 2011. Print.
3 Oberg, MD, MPH, Charles. "The Impact of Childhood Poverty on Health and Development." Healthy Generations 4.1 (2003): 1-3. Print.