Wellness Day provides vital health services for Indianapolis children

INDIANAPOLIS (CARESOURCE) - The Villages of Indiana and CareSource hosted a free Wellness Day last weekend at Ameriplex Complex, Children’s Village Childcare Center to help ensure that local children are healthy and ready to start the school year. At the event, children received a range of essential health services. Services available at the event hearing, vision, and well-child checks, immunizations, lead testing and dental exams. There were also backpacks, face painting, kids’ activities, a DJ and treats.

“Providing free medical exams and screenings to underserved populations is crucial to advancing good health care,” said Shannon Schumacher, president and CEO of The Villages of Indiana. “It's not just about treating illnesses; it's about early detection, prevention and fostering a sense of well-being in communities that often face barriers to health care.”

The importance of preventive and treatment services is evidence-based and supported by a RAND study which found that expanding both prevention and treatment programs significantly improves child welfare outcomes. According to the study, prevention efforts reduce maltreatment, improve children's experiences in foster care, and lead to better outcomes in young adulthood. Additionally, combining preventive health care services with kinship care enhances children's well-being while helping control overall system costs.

“Attending to the everyday needs of individuals and families can improve their overall health and help keep families whole,” said Steve Smitherman, president of CareSource Indiana. “This Wellness Day is a testament to our commitment to building access to health care and ensuring that children receive the preventive care they need to succeed in school and beyond. Our partnership with The Villages of Indiana allows us to foster healthier and more vibrant futures for Hoosier children."

The Wellness Day event was provided through partnerships with CareSource, Children’s Village Childcare Center, Early Learning Indiana, Familia Dental, Indiana Immunization Coalition and the Marion County Public Health Department.

The Villages of Indiana is among the state’s largest licensed and accredited family and child services nonprofit agencies with 16 offices in Indiana. Established in 1978 through an initiative of the Lilly Endowment, The Villages’ professional team provides foster care licensing and placement, adoption and wrap-around family support programs. In 2023, the organization’s staff served over 3,100 individuals each day in Indiana through 13 programs, which include Healthy Families, Family Connection Network, and Older Youth Services. The nonprofit owns and operates Children’s Village Childcare Center and is the umbrella agency for Prevent Child Abuse Indiana and Dad’s Inc. For more information visit www.VillagesKids.org.