KIDS COUNT Data Book
Jenny Chiu is a Los Angeles single mom to Matthew, 14, and Milton, an 11-year-old with severe autism and gastrointestinal problems that require a lot of care and services. Jenny, 47, has insurance through her work as a manager of an adult day care center, but her children aren't covered through her policy.
Jenny says she feels lucky that both her boys have comprehensive public health insurance - Healthy Families for Matthew and Medi-Cal for Milton. However, she must still pay for some of Miltons' care, including medications that are not covered by insurance. Jenny and her boys are already on a tight budget, and she worries about losing her job, which is not secure because of state budget cuts. "I don't know what will happen," she says. "I hope I can find another job, but now in California, it's not easy." According to the KIDS COUNT Data Book, released on Aug. 17 by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Jenny is not alone when it comes to worrying about supporting her children. Nationally, according to the report, the number of children living in poverty increased 18 percent from 2000 and 2009. In 2010, an estimated 1.2 million, or 13 percent, of California's children were living in households where at least one parent was eligible for employment, was seeking employment, or both - but remained jobless. About 8 percent of California's children are without continuous health insurance, according to the Data Book. Ted Lempert, president of Oakland-based Children Now, which worked with the Annie E. Casey Foundation to collect the data, blamed the economic downturn for leaving California's children "particularly vulnerable." In a statement, Lempert said recent cuts, like a $3.3 million reduction in vision services for Healthy Families and a $300 million permanent reduction in early learning and development programs that resulted in the loss of approximately 50,000 child care slots, have significantly impacted California's families. "Children's health and education should be the last place state leaders look to cut," Lempert said. "In tough economic times, families put their children first. Leaders of our state should reflect this core value." The First 5 LA Board of Commissioners has tried to fill gaps in the safety net with investments in programs like Healthy Kids, which currently serves nearly 2,300 children 5 years old and younger. A recent evaluation of the program, which provides low-cost health insurance to low-income children, found Healthy Kids helped decrease the likelihood that a child will visit the emergency room and reduced the chances that parents will incur financial hardship by obtaining health care for their children. First 5 LA also continues to support legislation that would make health care for expecting mothers and young children more standardized and accessible, like the Health Care Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention Act (AB 1296). It's not fair that young children and their families must suffer in these hard economic times, but it is an unfortunate reality. We hope that our continued investments in these programs will help make life a little easier, and a little better, for all of L.A. County's children. Evelyn V. Martinez Chief Executive Officer
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