About the Network

Mission: The Children’s Oral Health Network improves children's health by mobilizing partners and communities to transform oral health care in Maine.

Shared vision: a Maine where all children grow up free from preventable dental disease.

COHN was established to be a “field catalyst,” a form of intermediary organization focused on achieving population-level change. COHN’s approach fosters four strengths identified as essential for field catalysts to succeed in large-scale systems change work, including 1) a deep understanding of the problem and ecosystem, 2) a vision for equitable and sustainable population-level change, 3) trusting relationships and credibility, and 4) an organizer’s mindset.

Unrestricted funding and support from the Sadie & Harry Davis Foundation has enabled COHN to spend the last several years connecting partners to better understand how dental disease is showing up and affecting children in Maine, as well as to collectively design the necessary solutions to effectively address this problem. Having this time to coalesce around exactly HOW we improve children’s oral health puts the Network in a unique position to affect change. This privilege of time has allowed us to develop a nuanced and complex picture of the issue, and to thoughtfully determine how and where to take strategic action. 

Theory of Change

COHN’s leadership has developed this Theory of Change to help guide the way Network partners think and talk about our collective efforts to improve access to oral health for all Maine children, and also to allow for all partners to see themselves in COHN’s work.

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