need help? get connected to community resources

what is the Community Resource Hub?

Dayton Children’s Hospital has partnered with FindHelp- a comprehensive database of local resources for Dayton Children’s patient families. This resource is called the Community Resource Hub.

The Community Resource Hub is a platform where users can search for what they need based on zip code and category. The goal of the Community Resource Hub is to connect families with local resources to help kids stay healthy. It is even able to translate your resource lists into many different languages. The Community Resource Hub is helping us make sure there is equitable access to resources for all that we serve.

Here's how to use it: 

1. Visit https://childrensdayton.findhelp.com/
2. Enter your zip code
3. Select a category, and then select your need (Example: Food, Food Pantry).
4. A program card will then load with information about eligibility, location, hours of operation and more that you need to know. 
5. Click “next steps” to learn more about how to access the resources.  

Go to the Community Resource Hub

who can use the Community Resource Hub? 

The Community Resource Hub is available to anyone looking to find resources in their area. Dayton Children’s staff can also use the site to search for resources to serve their patient families with needs. 

how do I find this resource online? 

1. Visit Dayton Children’s Hospital website
2. Click on the patients and visitors section under the resources tab. 
3. If you have any questions, or want to share information about community resources, please contact Bridget Hobbs at hobbsb@childrensdayton.org. *Please note, all resources included on the platform should be free or reduced cost.  

why do we need to address social needs? 

When a person has unmet social needs, the consequences can impact their health and lead to poor health outcomes. Dayton Children's has been screening for social needs in our Dayton Children’s Pediatric Clinic since 2016 and work is being done to spread social needs screening to other clinics throughout the hospital.

The goal of screening for social needs is not to just identify needs but to provide the needed resources to address them.

“FindHelp is an easily accessible tool for hospital staff to get quick results regarding a variety of different resources all in one place. It reduces the need to search all over the web when there is a streamlined database that you can use to search within a specific zip code,” says Kathlene Poplin, Dayton Children’s Integrated Care Resource Specialist.

building partnerships for better connections

Community agencies that are listed in FindHelp can turn on referrals to better connect with families. The goal is to create a two-way pipeline so that referrals can be directly sent to organizations and then the organization can update the outcome. 

This way, organizations can communicate with us that our patient families are connected and getting the help that they need.

Currently, Dayton Children’s has partnered with Woman Infants and Children (WIC) to turn on a direct referral that WIC staff respond to in 2-3 days. 

“The WIC program is excited to partner with Dayton Children’s to receive referrals through FindHelp because we can reach out to certify families quicker, and because the referral contains pertinent information so we can ask fewer questions and focus more on meeting the family’s needs,” says Tracey Waller, WIC Program Senior Manager. 

Today, our goal is to continue to work with community-based organizations to explore how we can remove barriers to connection. We hope you will start using this great resource today!