First 5 LA Reaches Out to Elected Officials about the Importance of SCHIPAugust 6, 2007 |
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| As champions of children, First 5 LA recognizes the importance of informing elected officials about the impact of policy and legislation on the children and families that we serve. With the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) hanging in the balance, the First 5 LA government affairs staff is on the move to let Congress know how this program impacts L.A. County’s children. To that end, we have partnered with other child and healthcare reform advocacy groups like United Way of Greater Los Angeles and Community Health Councils Inc, to make visits to members of Congress based in L.A. County that play a crucial role in the reauthorization of SCHIP. Local congressional representatives especially need to know how failure to fund SCHIP will effect families served by First 5 LA grantees in their districts. Backed by strong bipartisan support, SCHIP was established in 1997 to provide states with matching funds toward children's healthcare insurance. With SCHIP's 10th anniversary fast approaching, Congress faces the important task of reauthorizing the program. The House approved legislation last week on that greatly expanded the federal health insurance program for the children of the working poor. The legislation is now in the Senate, where a more modest version of the program with bipartisan support will be voted on this week. As the largest recipient of SCHIP funds via the Healthy Families program, California's children stand to gain the most from its reauthorization, and the pending expansion. As advocates for our children, First 5 LA is proud to participate in this process. |
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