Wolk to be keynote speaker at 'Healthy Kids Kick-Off'

Event to launch program for improved access to children' s healthcare in Yolo County

WEST SACRAMENTO– Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) will be the keynote speaker at the Yolo County Children’s Health Initiative “Healthy Kids Kick-Off,” the launch party for a program to increase access to quality healthcare for all children in Yolo County Thursday, March 9, 2006.

“Currently there are over 1,000 children ages 18 and under that are ineligible for the two existing state assisted health insurance programs, Medi-Cal and Healthy Families,” said Assemblywoman Wolk. “Healthy Kids closes the gaps of these two programs and works to remove barriers to ensure parents enroll their children, and keep them enrolled.”

The Children’s Health Initiative (CHI) is a coalition of county agencies, community-based groups, schools, clinics, and First 5 Yolo. The partnership’s main goals are to bring together public and private groups to share responsibility for providing coverage for all children in Yolo County, to create a single enrollment pathway for public health insurance programs for children, and to create a new and comprehensive insurance program called Healthy Kids.

Both CHI and Healthy Kids are locally financed, with First 5 Yolo committing $625,000, annually, for children 0-5 for 5 years.

“This is a true testament of what can happen when both public and private entities at the local level can recognize a need in their communities, and organize together to address and solve that need,” Wolk concluded.

The kick-off event is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. at the West Sacramento City Hall, located at 1110 West Capitol Blvd. For more information, call the Yolo County Children’s Alliance at 530-757-5558.