For students who returned a signed KOHA waiver form:

The waiver form (Section 2 of the waiver) asks parents/caregivers to list the reason they waived the screening.

• If parents/caregivers mark the following reasons for waiving, school staff can provide resources and additional information about how to access a dentist, enroll in Medi-Cal insurance, use the Medi-Cal transportation benefit to get to a dental appointment, etc. (contact your LOHP to obtain this information if you do not already have it):
  • Cannot find a dental office that accepts my child’s dental insurance plan
  • Cannot afford an assessment for my child
  • Cannot find the time to get to a dentist
  • Cannot get to a dentist easily
• Many parents/caregivers mark, “I do not believe my child would benefit from the assessment,” as the reason for waiving. If this is the case, additional education and awareness is likely needed for parents/caregivers and school staff about why KOHA is important for children’s oral and overall health and engagement in school. Contact your LOHP staff to see if they can provide educational sessions about KOHA, additional resources, or other information.
• Some parents sign the waiver form because their child already has a dental home and sees a dentist regularly, so they do not feel the need to bring the KOHA form to their child’s dentist and have them complete it. Please remind them that the KOHA is a statewide mandate that needs to be completed and submitted to the school. They will need to bring the KOHA form to their child’s next dental appointment and have their dental provider complete it.