Project Mariposa supports youth residing only in Detroit, MI. Orthodontic Partners has contracted with Smiles Change Lives (SCL) to administer their orthodontic program, Project Mariposa serving youth in Detroit, MI. SCL is responsible for managing the day-to-day program operations, responding to applicant inquiries, approving requests and coordinating case management throughout the entire orthodontic treatment process. Smiles Change Lives and its orthodontic providers are dedicated to providing braces for children from families that cannot afford the full cost of braces. We believe self-esteem and confidence are very important to the development of a child. SCL orthodontic providers offer quality treatment and healthy smiles to the most qualified and deserving kids.
Table 1
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Be up to, but not including, 19 years of age;
- Have good dental hygiene (as certified by the child’s general dentist within 30 days of application date);
- Have no unfilled cavities;
- Have a moderate to severe need for braces;
- Not be wearing braces currently; nor ever have received braces from the Jones Foundation previously;
- Have a total household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level; ( see TABLE 1 on right)
- Be a US citizen (proof of US citizenship MUST be included) and;
- If approved, be willing to pay the $30 (USD) non-refundable application fee and the $650 (USD) non-refundable program administration fee (per child).
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: The application can be downloaded and mailed in to the SCL office at: Project Mariposa / Smiles Change Lives 2405 Grand Blvd, Suite 300 Kansas City, MO 64108 Please ensure you use adequate postage and keep a copy of the entire application for your records. If you do NOT live in Detroit, Michigan, you cannot apply using this application. Instead, please visit www.smileschangelives.org/apply for the correct application. APPLICATION CHECKLIST: In order to be considered for the PM/SCL program, all of the items below must be fully completed and submitted to SCL for each child that is applying to the program. Please use the checklist below to ensure you’ve included each of the required documents; that each has been fully completed; and that all items are signed where required. Because the need for assistance goes beyond our ability to ensure treatment for every applicant, the PM/SCL acceptance policies are very strict. If your application is incomplete in any way, it will be rejected and returned to you. If you wish to reapply you will be required to submit a new application with an additional $30 application fee.
- $30.00 non-refundable application fee (personal check, cashier’s check or money order; made payable to Smiles Change Lives)
- General Application (pg. 3-4)
- Child’s Application (pg. 5)
- Notice of Privacy Practices (pg. 6 – MUST be signed by parent/guardian)
- Program Rules and Guidelines (pg. 7 – All items MUST be initialed by parent/guardian)
- Parent/Legal Guardian Consent & Child Consent (pg. 8 – All items MUST be signed by BOTH parent/guardian & child)
- Dental Referral Form (pg. 9-10 – Must be fully completed by the child’s general dentist or dental hygienist based on an examination no more than 30 days prior to the application date. Must show good dental hygiene and no unfilled cavities)
- Federal Tax Form 1040 – Proof of income MUST be submitted in the form of a COMPLETE copy of the most recent tax year’s federal tax return (include ALL pages, schedules, statements). Tax forms that are altered in any way, including removing/blacking out Social Security numbers, will NOT be accepted. If you are submitting applications for more than one child, you MUST include a copy of your tax return with EACH application. See pg 4 for additional information on this requirement.
- Personal essay from the applicant and/or letters of support detailing why the applicant wants braces, how they feel their life might be improved as a result of treatment, etc. (This is optional but encouraged)
If submitting Form 1040, please note:
- The child applying for treatment MUST be listed as a dependent on either page 1 of Form 1040 or on Statement 1 along with the child’s Social Security number.
- If the child is NOT claimed as a dependent on your tax return, you must explain why and ALSO submit the tax return for the person who DOES claim the child, as well as proof of where the child resides (e.g. school records). In this situation, both tax returns must meet our income qualifications.
- Page 2 of Form 1040 (line 7) must show adjusted gross income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
- If your income does not require you to file taxes, but you are legally allowed to file, you must do so in order to apply for our program, even if your income is $0.
