Dayton Children's Hospital Family Resource Center

The Dayton Children's Hospital Family Resource Center, located at 1 Childrens Plaza in Dayton, Ohio, is a vital resource for families facing challenges beyond just medical issues. Research has shown that social needs, such as lack of food, housing, or transportation, can significantly impact a child's health outcomes. To address these issues, the Center for Community Health and Advocacy launched the Family Resource Connection program, which screens patient families for unmet social needs and connects them with community resources.

The Family Resource Connection, housed in the Child Health Pavilion, uses a patient's visit to the doctor as an opportunity to address non-medical issues that affect health. Student workers, known as advocates, reach out to families in need and connect them to resources such as out-of-school programs, food assistance, school supplies, and baby supplies. The program is modeled after and in partnership with the nationally recognized Health Leads program, which mobilizes undergraduates to provide services to low-income families and transform the healthcare system into a more effective and just one.

The Family Resource Connection aims to create a healthcare system that addresses all patients' basic resource needs as a standard part of quality care. With over 19 years of experience, Health Leads has been successful in building social needs programs in hospital and clinic settings. The Family Resource Center at Dayton Children's Hospital is committed to improving the overall health and well-being of children and families by addressing social determinants of health.