We don’t have to wait any longer (drum roll, please)…Major elements of national health care reform begin today!

Six months have gone by since the bill became law, and today a set of important protections takes effect that are designed to curb the worst excesses of the insurance industry. That means one simple thing: health insurance will start working better for children and families now.

Let’s start with two of the most touted benefits of health care reform for kids.

In this edition, the editorial board at the Seattle Times weighs in against Initiative 1107. The soda manufacturers’ $14 million effort to gain a tax break “would create a $200 million hole in the state’s next two-year budget,” they write.
Also: Read about the dire outlook not only for next fiscal year’s budget, but this year’s; hear about the Census Bureau’s new numbers showing a growing number of people living in poverty – including a disproportionately high number of children. And: find out about Washington’s new early-learning plan; and note that millions of kids are eligible for health coverage – but are going without.

A crowd of more than 30 parents, teachers, librarians, and other community members gathered at the Downtown branch of the Spokane Public Library on August 25th to recognize Senator Lisa Brown (3rd District) and Representative Kevin Parker (6th District) at the first annual Crayon Awards in Spokane.  The energy in the room was palpable; the Spokane community was thrilled to thank Senator Brown for her ongoing leadership in early learning by presenting her with the Gold Crayon award.

Across Washington, there is an increasing demand for backpacks at local stores, playgrounds are beginning to fill with the sounds of recess and school buses have started hitting the road in full force. For many parents stretching every dollar to meet their families’ basic needs, fall means something simple yet critical: school lunches and breakfasts will be available again.

But how did families fill the gap over the summer? To answer that question for our elected officials, we recently brought Representative Adam Smith (of Washington’s 9th Congressional District) and Representative Rick Larsen ( 2nd District)  to summer meal sites within their respective districts. The goal was to show them the value of federally funded locations where families get assistance feeding their kids healthy meals when school is out.

The Children’s Alliance is proud to accept the Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge announced by Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services. Today, Secretary Sebelius called upon the nation to enroll the nearly five million children who are currently eligible but uninsured into health coverage within the next five years.