Children's Alliance News

Paola Maranan Elected to Board of C.H.E.F.

The Comprehensive Health Education Foundation (C.H.E.F.) has elected Children's Alliance Executive Director Paola Maranan to their Board of Directors.

C.H.E.F.'s mission is to promote health and quality of life through education. The organization has recently redefined their focus to dedicate their health education resources to help prevent and reduce major health inequities across ethnic, racial, and income groups. This focus is closely aligned with the work of the Children's Alliance and with Paola's expertise and commitment to racial and economic justice. Paola commented on her election;

"I am honored and pleased to be a part of C.H.E.F.'s Board of Directors because of our mutual dedication to reducing health disparities in Washington State through public policy and advocacy."

C.H.E.F. carries out its mission through a blend of philanthropy, advocacy and capacity building. The Foundation recently invested in the Children's Alliance's ongoing work to address the root causes of the rising rates of childhood obesity in Washington State.  Read C.H.E.F.'s press release regarding Paola's election.

Chef Tom Douglas Calls for Action to End Hunger

Renowned chef and author Tom Douglas spoke up for the Children's Alliance's plan to end childhood hunger in a guest editorial in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer last week.

"As a chef, I take pleasure in feeding people. As a citizen, I find it appalling that people in my community are hungry...End Childhood Hunger Washington's 10-point strategic plan lays out how we can end childhood hunger in our state."

Are there children in your community who don't get enough to eat and don't have access to nutritious food? You can read the plan and get involved in the concrete steps it lays out to make sure every child in every corner of the state gets three nutritious meals every day. If you're not yet a member of the Children's Action Network, sign up now to get connected to action to end childhood hunger.

Share your comments about hunger in your community. And for more information contact Claire Lane, End Childhood Hunger Project Manager.

Washington Apple Health For Kids On Tour

The coverage for all kids program in Washington State has a new name; Washington Apple Health for Kids!

The Children's Alliance won a landmark campaign in 2007 with the passage of the Cover All Kids law. Now the Children's Alliance is working hard to make sure parents and caregivers have the information and access to get connected to the health coverage that is now available.

We're pleased that the State has announced the new name, and more importantly, an ambitious outreach and media campaign to spread the word about coverage for kids. The outreach effort includes a bus tour to fifteen cities around the state. The kick-off event was yesterday at Rainier Playfield in Seattle. Governor Chris Gregoire and King County Executive Ron Sims were on hand along with community members to launch the tour. The next stop on the tour is at Bellingham's KidsFest on Saturday.

Washington House of Representatives Speaker Frank Chopp, who was a champion of the new law, welcomed the announcement of the new name.

"We are well down the road to making sure every Washington child has health care. A child's good health is the foundation for success in school and success in life. What better name than Apple Health for Kids for our children's health program?  An apple a day means nutrition and wellness. An apple for the teacher means healthy kids doing well in good schools. And an apple, in Washington state, means economic vitality for the entire state where every child has the ability to grow healthy and thrive. To me, it is the perfect symbol for the best children's health program in the nation."

The Apple Health media campaign is one important strategy to spread the word to families and caregivers and get kids connected to the coverage they need. The message must be shared with all communities as many more families are eligible now and even more will be eligible in January 2009 when the income limit will increase slightly to three times the federal poverty level, or about $5,300 per month for a family of four.

If you have any questions about the Children's Alliance's work to cover all kids contact Health Policy Associate Annique Lennon.