From Summer Break to Back-to-School: FamilyCare Supports Children Year-Round
As the weather got warmer and school let out for summer, our FamilyCare team made sure to kick the season off with a bang. A record-breaking 1500 children attended our 3rd annual Kids’ Summer Bash, one of many free events our team holds throughout the year to connect with our community. While children jumped on colorful inflatables, danced to great music, and enjoyed some tasty food, our team also used the event to create healthier communities.
“Of course we wanted kids to simply enjoy themselves and celebrate the end of the school year, but we also wanted to help everyone—including their parents—make healthier choices,” said Fran Coleman, who organized the event.
For this reason, FamilyCare performed free blood pressure checks and sports physicals throughout the Kids’ Summer Bash. Providing services like these for free makes a big difference for FamilyCare patients. As a community health center, FamilyCare has a special commitment to serving West Virginians so everyone can have access or afford health care services. For 35 years, FamilyCare has expanded services with an eye toward fulfilling unmet needs and reaching underserved communities.
“FamilyCare actually started as a birth center—the very first one in our area to deliver a baby,” said Craig Glover. “Particularly because of this legacy, children have a special place in our hearts, and we’ve developed a great deal of innovative programming to help kids stay as healthy as possible year-round—from summer break until back to school season.”
After organizing a successful Kids’ Summer Bash and providing hundreds of additional free sports physicals during summer break, FamilyCare will continue serving children through its robust network of school-based health centers and mobile units. Children attending any of the following can visit a FamilyCare provider without ever leaving school: Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary School, West Side Middle School, Capital High School, St. Albans Schools, Poca Schools, Boone County Schools, and Putnam County Schools.
“By operating the region’s largest network of school-based health centers and mobile units, FamilyCare is proving our commitment to making health care more accessible for working families,” said Dawn Grigsby. “Because of innovative programs like these, parents don’t have to take time off from work or lose income to ensure their children stay healthy.”
Parents who want their children to receive care from one of FamilyCare’s school-based health centers or mobile units can fill out this form.