The Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation will shift its strategic direction to focus on improving the oral health of Iowa’s children and seniors, the nonprofit’s board announced this morning.

Going forward, the foundation will direct its funding primarily to programs supporting two visionary goals: By 2020, all low-income children in the state (children 12 or younger living in households with incomes below 300 percent of the federal poverty level) will be cavity-free; and that every nursing home resident and homebound elderly person will have access to oral health care.

To further support the initiative, Delta Dental of Iowa recently hired Beth Jones as its public benefit coordinator to build proactive programs and partnerships in 2012.

Jones has more than 10 years of public health, policy development and collaborative experience. The foundation last year distributed $1,031,000 in funding through the Delta Dental of Iowa Public Benefit Program.