Children's Health

There are more than 8 million uninsured children in America – that's one in ten. Every 42 seconds, a child is born uninsured. More than 2,000 children are born uninsured every day. Health care costs for working families continue to rise, making it difficult to afford insurance or access timely care. The failing state of our nation's health care system affects every person in the United States, insured and uninsured alike. If we are to end the problem of children growing up without health coverage and ensure affordable coverage, real health reform is necessary.

Legislative Update: How Are Children Faring in Health Reform?

Congress is back on Capitol Hill and health reform is center stage.  But it continues to take shape in a way that could make millions of children worse – rather than better – off at the same time insurance companies and drug companies will profit.  Millions of children could face higher costs for fewer benefits. For children to be better off, changes are needed to make it simple for them to enroll in comprehensive and affordable health coverage. Read more about how children are faring in health reform in our legislative update and join CDF's Health Coverage for All Children Campaign.

New FRAC Survey Shows Households With Children Struggle to Afford Food

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) recently released findings from a survey which paint a clear portrait of the struggle faced by many families to afford food for their children. The survey found that in 2009, nearly one in four households with children struggled to afford the food they needed.  Nationally, nearly one in five Americans (18.5 percent) has lacked the money to buy the food they needed at some point in the last year.  To read the full report, click here.

Access to nutritious food is a matter of social justice. As CDF President Marian Wright Edelman noted in her recent Child Watch® column Urban Food Deserts Threaten Children’s Health, failing to ensure our children receive better nutrition will cost our nation dearly.   Ensuring children and adults access to nutritious food is one obvious step we must take as legislators struggle to reform our nation's health care system and contain its skyrocketing costs.

For more research on food insecurity in the United States, see the 2008 USDA report Household Food Security in the United States, or The Public Health Effects of Food Deserts Workshop Summary from the National Academy of Sciences.

Be a Champion for Children's Health Coverage!

Thousands of children, parents, grandparents, faith leaders and other child advocates took their walking shoes and baby strollers to the U.S. Capitol in early November to demand that Congress ensure pending health reform legislation meets the needs of the 8.1 million uninsured children―and millions more who are underinsured―before the process is over. Learn more about the Champions for Children's Health Stroller Brigade and what you can do to ensure children are better - not worse - off after health reform.

National Civil Rights Groups Join Forces on Children's Health Coverage

Leading civil rights groups, including the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), have partnered to urge Congress to to realize America’s promise of covering all children, ensuring that the millions of uninsured and underinsured children are not forgotten during the health care reform debate. Learn more about this partnership.

New Data on Children's Health

In December 2008, CDF released its State of America's Children 2008^® report that includes a compilation of the most recent and reliable national and state-by-state data on various issues including "Child Health and Health Coverage." This section includes data on uninsured children, children enrolled in Medicaid and SCHIP, prenatal care, low birthweight babies, infant deaths, selected maternal and infant health indicators, infant health, and immunization rates.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Health Resources Available in Your State and Community

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama helps alleviate the stress on families and communities by investing in improvements for a range of needed services and supports, including health services. Learn what is available in your state and community and how to use these funds to invest in children's health by visiting the Health and Nutrition sections of our guide, The New Economic Recovery Law: Resources to Help Children and the Economy.

CDF President Speaks Out on Children's Health Care Online

View CDF President Marian Wright Edelman's responses to recent questions on National Journal's Health Care blog, an online discussion amongst policy experts about health care reform.