United Way of Kern County is proud to have accepted the Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge.  We are working locally and with our state association, United Ways of California, to see that eligible but unenrolled children in our community get connected to the health coverage they need.

We lend our support to UWCA’s statewide advocacy efforts to promote simplification of enrollment and renewal processes and streamlining of eligibility determinations.  As a part of these advocacy efforts, we assist in educating business leaders, legislators, and other community leaders about the importance of health coverage programs for kids.

Locally, United Way of Kern County is a major supporter of our local 2-1-1 center, which provides callers information on Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, and other health coverage choices available in our community. Follow-ups indicate most referred children have successfully enrolled in the appropriate coverage.   We also work closely with our local Children’s Health Initiative to ensure Kern County kids have access to care.  In the coming months, we will provide opportunities for the families taking advantage of free tax preparation services at our VITA sites to receive information about health coverage options available for their children.