Tuscaloosa News

By: Kim Doleatto

Being ready for kindergarten doesn’t end at bedtime stories and knowing how to count to ten. Access to health care helps children thrive once they reach school. “More and more we’re finding a link between access to health care coverage and school readiness,” said Elisabeth Burak, Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy’s Center for Children and Families (CCF).

For low-income families with children who often start off behind their peers due to lack of access to quality child care, book-rich environments and more, safety net programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), help level the playing field. In Florida, families of four who earn less than $24,600 qualify for Medicaid. If that family earns up to $48,600, they may qualify for CHIP. Together, both programs cover 41 percent of Florida kids and 39 percent of the nation’s children.

“Children who have access to Medicaid are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college and pay back into the community,” Burak said.

…

Read more here.