Packard Foundation Cites Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families' Critical Role in Continued Progress

Little Rock, AR - Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families has received a $120,000 grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation under the Foundation's Insuring America's Children: Getting to the Finish Line initiative. The grant coincides with the two-year anniversary of the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and will support AACF in its work to advance policies and practices that can help cover Arkansas children and their families.

Health insurance coverage through Medicaid and CHIP allows children to get the preventive care they need to stay healthy and see a doctor when sick or injured. Benefits of quality health care for kids extend well beyond a child's health, affecting a child's performance in school and a family's economic security.

"Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families has helped to deliver real wins for Arkansas children, and because Arkansas has strengthened Medicaid and CHIP, thousands of Arkansas children can get the care they need." said Carol S. Larson, president and CEO of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Since ARKids First was created, the state has cut the percentage of uninsured children in half, to under 7 percent today. As the economic downturn has cost working families their health insurance along with their jobs, Medicaid and CHIP (ARKids First in Arkansas) have continued to protect children from becoming uninsured. As many as 35,000 more Arkansas children have relied on ARKids First and Medicaid during the economic downturn. 

"Arkansas has shown that we can solve the problem of uninsured children. Our kids, our families, and our state are stronger as a result. This grant and new federal tools and resources can help Arkansas reach the finish line and cover every uninsured child," said Rich Huddleston, AACF Executive Director.

In 2009, under the leadership of Gov. Mike Beebe and forward-thinking state lawmakers, Arkansas raised the state tobacco tax to pay for a broad-ranging health care package that included extending ARKids First coverage to thousands more uninsured children-many in families losing employer-based coverage because of job losses. However, the program expansion has been delayed because of the recession's impact on state revenues, despite research showing plenty of tobacco tax revenue coming in to support the expansion.

The 2009 CHIP reauthorization law strengthened the partnership between the federal government and Arkansas state government on children's health coverage. As a result, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has distributed more than $280 million in "performance bonuses" to support state efforts to cover more uninsured kids. The CHIP reauthorization law also provides incentives and support for states committed to making CHIP and Medicaid even more effective.

"There is no better way to mark the anniversary of the CHIP reauthorization law than to recommit to covering uninsured kids. With new national resources and tools and smart, dedicated advocates to work with, Arkansas can get the job done," said Joan Alker, co-executive director at the Georgetown Center for Children and Families (CCF).

CCF, an independent, nonpartisan policy and research center based at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute, provides policy and communications support to AACF and other Getting to the Finish Line grantee organizations. Getting to the Finish Line grantees will work closely with state policymakers to identify and advance opportunities to cover additional uninsured children and keep them insured, by eliminating administrative barriers and improving the effectiveness and reach of CHIP and Medicaid.

Since 2007, the Packard Foundation's insuring America's Children: States Leading the Way grantmaking strategy has invested in state-based children's health advocacy organizations. AACF has received Packard Foundation grant funding for children's health advocacy since 2008. Advocates in nine other states also received 2011 Finish Line grant awards.

"This is a tough budget year, but it'll be even tougher for Arkansas families struggling to stay afloat through the worst economy in decades. If our leaders in Little Rock maintain their bipartisan commitment to covering uninsured kids, we can keep children healthy and families strong," said Elisabeth Wright Burak, AACF Health Policy and Legislative Affairs Director.

###

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families is a statewide, non-profit child advocacy organization established in 1977. Our mission is to ensure that all children and their families have the resources and opportunities to lead healthy and productive lives and to realize their full potential. On the web at www.aradvocates.org.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a private family foundation created in 1964 by David Packard (1912-1996), cofounder of the Hewlett-Packard Company, and Lucile Salter Packard (1914-1987). The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations in the following program areas: Conservation and Science; Population and Reproductive Health; and Children, Families, and Communities. The Foundation makes national and international grants and also has a special focus on the Northern California Counties of San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey. Foundation grantmaking includes support for a wide variety of activities including direct services, research and policy development, and public information and education. The Foundation does not make grants intended to influence legislation or support candidates for political office. Foundation grant awards totaled approximately $234 million in 2010. The Foundation expects grantmaking awards of up to $232 million in 2011.