Formally launched on June 22, 2004, the Children’s Health Initiative of Greater Los Angeles is a three- year expansion of health coverage for eligible children who are now without health insurance with the goal of attaining permanent, long-term solutions to 100% coverage of all children.

The initiative has been structured by the Children’s Health Initiative Coalition, a public-private group of healthcare providers, private employers, business leaders, advocacy groups, foundations, public health officials, labor unions and educators that have come together to create and support the Children’s Health Initiative. The three co-conveners of the Coalition are L.A. Care Health Plan, the California Endowment, and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

The Coalition has raised over $80 million of an estimated $112 million to fund the three-year expansion of health insurance coverage. The overarching goal of the Children’s Health Initiative is to encourage public policies to keep kids healthy and assure that no child has to go without health care. We believe that over time, bolstered by the expected success of our three-year expansion of coverage, we will be able to gain support for a permanent, long-term solution to covering uninsured children.

The Children's Health Initiative's goal is to enroll 150,000 children into Medi-cal, Healthy Families, and Healthy Kids programs. This initiative will enable eligible children to receive certain comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage and allow them to receive care in a more appropriate and cost-efficient setting than the emergency room, where many uninsured children get their care.