About Teachers for Healthy Kids

The 330,000 member California Teachers Association and the California Association of Health Plans and its state-wide and locally-based health plan members, are working together to promote student enrollment in low or no cost health, dental and vision insurance programs. These health coverage options include state and federal programs such as Healthy Families and Medi-Cal as well as county-based programs that offer health insurance for those not meeting the eligibility requirements because of income or citizenship status.

A primary goal of the project is to implement of school-based outreach activities that encourage teachers to become directly involved in discussions about health insurance as part of their regular teacher-parent communications. Starting with direct teacher involvement, the goal is to make health insurance outreach, enrollment, and parent education a school-wide endeavor. Outreach activities coordinated would be regular school events, and information on health insurance options, utilization, and retention would become a regular part of the school?s parent education efforts.

Teachers for Healthy Kids is working in urban and rural school districts across the state. The project targets its involvement and initiates outreach in school districts of greatest need, yet responds to requests initiated by local teachers associations who wish to become more involved in the project.

With generous help from The California Endowment, Teachers for Healthy Kids continues to expand its partnerships with local education and health agencies and organizations and to work with civic, political, and health policy-makers to implement funding and policy changes that support children?s access to health insurance and care.

Organizations that have already joined us in our efforts to increase parent awareness and expand health, dental and vision insurance coverage to children include:

• American Federation of Teachers
• Association of California School Administrators
• California County Superintendents Educational Services Association
• California Federation of Teachers
• California School Boards Association
• California School Employees Association
• California School Nurses Organization
• California State Parent Teachers Association
• Children?s Defense Fund
• Children NOW
• Children?s Partnership
• California Department of Health Services
• Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB)
• Pacific Institute for Community Organization (PICO)
• Service Employees International Union
• The California Endowment