Treating Children until High School Graduation

All services provided to children at the Coral Gables Children’s Dental Clinic are paid entirely by the fundraising activities of members of the Coral Gables Woman’s Club, and donations from valued community sponsors and supporters. Help a child smile by becoming one of them!

The club holds annual fundraisers for the clinic, but you needn’t wait to support it. Make a tax-deductible donation today by sending a check to the Coral Gables Children’s Dental Clinic, P.O. Box 145057, Coral Gables, FL, 33114-5057.

To volunteer for or visit the clinic, which is located at the rear of the Coral Gables Woman’s Club, at 1092 Galiano Street, Coral Gables, FL, 33134, contact the office at 305-448-6536 or cgchildrensdentalclinic@gmail.com.

The GFWC Coral Gables Woman’s Club is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and is registered with the state of Florida under the Charities Solicitation Act, Chapter 496.

How to qualify for service

The children’s dental clinic serves Miami-Dade County school children whose parents or caregivers cannot afford costly dental care and are ineligible for public assistance.

To qualify for clinic services, parents or caregivers must submit a completed application for their child, who must be a full-time student under the age of 19 and not yet a high school graduate. Children must have proof of school enrollment and proof of residency.

Parents or legal guardians also must provide proof of income, such as a W-2 form, a copy of their latest federal income tax return, or a paycheck stub. Income documentation should be attached to the application.

After their initial visit, which includes cleaning, X-rays and evaluation for long-term treatment, children must commit to weekly clinic visits until all necessary dental work is completed. Those who require care beyond the scope of what the clinic offers are referred to the appropriate dental specialist.

A parent or guardian must accompany their child to all clinic visits. If a parent or guardian cannot be present, the person responsible for the patient must have notarized permission from the parent or guardian.

For more information, review the clinic’s requirements and guidelines, call 305-448-6536, or email cgchildrensdentalclinic@gmail.com.

Since 1939 we have been helping

Established by the Coral Gables Junior Woman’s Club, the clinic initially opened in the offices of the mayor of Coral Gables, where it remained for 19 years. In 1957, the junior women raised enough funds from their annual Cabaret shows to move the clinic into the clubhouse and, later, into the cheerful annex where it remains today.

Also making the move was May Van Sickle, (embed photo of May Van Sickle; crop if necessary)

who at age 58, joined the clinic staff in 1949 and supervised the young patients for more than 30 years. For her dedicated service, the clinic carried her name for decades. “My life is so much richer for having been here,” she told The Miami Herald in 1978.

As was the case in Van Sickle’s era, many of the children who visit the clinic today have never seen a dentist and require extensive procedures, such as root canals, extractions, and crowns.

Though the name, location, and footprint of the clinic have changed over the decades, the club’s commitment to its operation has never wavered. The clinic remains the primary beneficiary of the club’s rental income and other fundraising efforts from events and sponsors. Chief among them is the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation, which has generously supported the clinic with annual grants since 1992.