Sandbox Party a success!

Voices member group Voices for Michigan’s Children last week held a very successful rally around children’s issues. Hosting the Sandbox Party Convention, a political event focused on children’s issues, the group drew an attendance of thousands, many of them parents and children, as well as the two candidates for the governor’s race there.

As Labor Day approaches, the campaign season is set to begin in full. Ask your candidates how they stand on education, health, nutrition and other important children’s issues!

September: A big month for child health

This month is all about child health, and there are several opportunities coming up. On September 3, the campaign to enroll children in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program is renewed–currently there are 5 million American children eligible but not enrolled in these state health services.

Also, several of the provisions of health reform go into effect this month: children will be able to stay insurance plans as dependents up to age 26; lifetime benefit limits will be prohibited; and insurers will not be able to exclude children based on preexisting conditions.

Also, September is National Childhood Obesity Month, so use it to help get children the nutrition they need!

Salt Lake Tribune: “Kids real winners in health reform”

The Salt Lake Tribune this week tells a harrowing story of an 11-year-old waiting for the benefits of health reform to roll in. She suffers from dozens of brief seizures a day, and no health plan will accept her for an individual plan. Her family insurance was dropped by her employer recently due to hard times.

She is just one of the millions of uninsured children in America. Thanks to health reform’s elimination of insurer discrimination against preexisting conditions, her family should soon be able to finally get her care. Read more about the benefits of health reform on our child health care page.