KidsFlash—June 29, 2012
Supreme Court Ruling on Health Reform Law a Big Win for
Kids
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5 – 4 to uphold
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Since
its inception in March 2010, the ACA has been working towards providing crucial
health reforms for Americans. Yesterday’s ruling will maintain crucial reforms
and create a healthier future for our children. In Colorado alone, approximately
291,000 children with pre-existing health conditions can no longer be denied
coverage. The parents of more than half a million Colorado children do not have
to worry about lifetime limits on coverage. More than 40,000 young adults in
our state will remain on their parents’ insurance plans while they pursue their
educational and career goals. Moving forward, even more Colorado families will
enjoy the security that comes from having access to affordable, quality health
care.
While the Supreme Court decision removes uncertainty around
the law, the ruling alone does not automatically make it a reality here in
Colorado. That job is up to us.
We have a lot of work to do in the coming months and years
to ensure implementation in a way that fulfills the promise of the law.
While Colorado is ahead of most states in building the health benefit exchange,
there is much more to be done before it goes live in January 2014. We must
strengthen the infrastructure of our public programs so that eligible
Coloradans can access health benefits easily and efficiently. We must support
and grow our health care workforce so there are enough doctors, nurses and
other health professionals to provide care to the newly insured in all corners
of Colorado. We have fought hard for the protections and security this law
guarantees, and we must stay committed to connecting Colorado’s children and
families with the affordable health coverage they need to thrive. Working
together, we can move Colorado closer to the common sense goal that all Coloradans
get the care they need, when they need it.
Our partners at First Focus have published a helpful (and
brief!) summary of the important provisions of the ACA that benefit children.
Supporting Children during
the Colorado Wildfires
Thousands of Colorado children and families are at risk as
wildfires continue to burn across the state. Several fires remain active, including
the Waldo Canyon, High Park, Pine Ridge and Little Sand fires. So far this summer,
thousands of families have been evacuated and hundreds of homes have been
destroyed across the state. Tragically, some Coloradans have lost their lives or
their loved ones. Parents and caregivers are faced with protecting their
children’s safety, often with little notice, as well as the challenging task of
explaining the media coverage to their children. The National Child Traumatic
Stress Network explains that “wildfires cause emotional distress as well as
physical damage.” Due to evacuations, concern for loved ones and the loss of
home and personal belongings, wildfires can be traumatic events for children
and youth. A number of organizations and news outlets have rallied together to
support children affected by the wildfires.
Click here for an explanation of
the impact of a wildfire on children and families.
Click here for a guide on how to talk to children about
wildfires.
Click here for a resource on how to help children after a
wildfire.
Champions’ Circle Members Gather for “Insider’s View” of
2012 Legislative Session
Last week, 10 members of the Colorado Children’s Campaign
Champions’ Circle gathered for “Kids at the Capitol: An Insider’s Look at
Children’s Issues at the Legislature.” This was a special lunch event where Sen. Michael Johnston and Rep. Tom Massey discussed some of the
critical—and at times, controversial—kids’ issues from the 2012 legislative
session. Sen. Johnston and Rep. Massey, who have been champions for children at
the legislature, shared with the group their perspectives on significant policy
wins. These include the Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act (READ Act),
which seeks to address Colorado’s early literacy crisis, House Bill 1238 and Senate
Bill 022, which mitigates the “cliff effect” working parents experience when
they suddenly lose child care assistance due to an increase in earnings. The
legislators also talked candidly with the group about the challenges they see
ahead, including the fact that nearly one third of legislators during the 2013 legislative
session will be new. The large number of new incoming legislators creates a
need to develop new legislative champions to ensure that the well-being of kids
is a top policy priority.
The event was one of several that the Children’s Campaign
has planned for its Champions’ Circle members to get an insider’s peek at the
challenges and opportunities ahead. The Champions’ Circle was established in
2010, and members make a renewable, two-year commitment of $2,500 or more per
year. This funding allows the Children’s Campaign to better plan for the
future, ensure we have the financial flexibility to stay ahead of the issues
that impact kids and ensure we can maintain the first-class research and
expertise to fight every day for the programs and services we know will make
the biggest impact on the lives of Colorado kids.
For information on becoming a Champions’ Circle member,
contact Kristy Adams, Development Director, at kristy@coloradokids.org or 303-620-4550.
KidsFlash Flash Fact
Colorado has historically had a wide achievement gap between
children from low-income families and their more affluent peers. In 2011, 80
percent of all students who were not eligible for free or reduced-price lunch
(FRL) scored proficient or above on the reading portion of the CSAP, while only
half of the students eligible for FRL were proficient. To learn more about the
achievement gap in your county or school district, please visit the KIDS COUNT
Data Center.
