Children Defense Fund--2 Million More Children

Dear Friends,

The Children's Defense Fund has just released its most current statistics concerning our children. Iowa is ranked 31st on its expenditures in education. Currently there is a suggestion from our Governor and House that 0% allowable growth will cover the next two years. Our children need more support, not less. Please look at the chart "Children in the States Factsheets". You should get angry, too!

Nancy Porter,
NEA Peace & Justice Chair

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Dear Child Advocate,

Today marks the second anniversary of President Obama signing the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) into law. Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reports that health coverage was expanded to more than 2 million more children over the past year through CHIP and Medicaid. To celebrate CHIPRA’s birthday, HHS is highlighting the work of CDF-Texas as a national best practice in connecting uninsured children to health coverage, pointing specifically to the work they have done in partnership with local businesses over the past 10 years.

There is still much work to be done for the more than 8 million children who are still without coverage, two-thirds of whom are already eligible but not enrolled due largely to bureaucratic barriers and administrative red tape.

We must work together to break down these barriers, simplify the process and fast-track enrollment at the state level. Please visit our child health webpage to access new resources describing who the uninsured children are, new data from HHS, more information on CDF-Texas and our other state offices’ on-the-ground efforts to get children signed-up, and most importantly, to take action by contacting your governor asking him or her to expand health coverage to every child in your state, and to commit to getting every eligible child enrolled.

We are also now pleased to offer you our new Children in the States factsheets. Download these factsheets with the most up-to-date and reliable information on children in your state, including statistics and rankings on poverty, health, hunger, child welfare, early childhood development, education and youth at risk.

With hope and determination,

- Children's Defense Fund