This year, Cover the Uninsured Week comes at a critical time. For the past 10 years, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) (www.CoverTheUninsured.org/factsheets) has provided health coverage to millions of children whose parents work but cannot afford or are not offered health insurance. Because of SCHIP, these children can see doctors when they are sick, get check ups, prescription medicines and hospitalizations. This year, SCHIP must be reauthorized by Congress to continue. At a time when 9 million children are uninsured—more than the total number of kids enrolled in the first and second grades in U.S. public schools—Congress must fund SCHIP to cover more of America’s uninsured children.

Cover the Uninsured Week 2007 (April 23-29) will focus on covering kids as an important first step toward covering all Americans.

We invite your faith community to continue to work with us by supporting Cover the Uninsured Week 2007. The success of the Week is in large part due to the participation of faith communities across the nation. By promoting the need for affordable health care coverage for all Americans and encouraging widespread involvement, faith communities have helped to significantly expand the impact of Cover the Uninsured Week. Visit www.CoverTheUninsured.org/faith to read what national faith leaders are saying about Cover the Uninsured Week and covering kids and how you can get involved.

This year, we are asking faith communities across the country to support Cover the Uninsured Week:

1. Help get uninsured kids covered. Visit www.CoverTheUninsured.org/events for a growing list of events in your community and across the country. Order and distribute freebookmarks that tell parents of uninsured children how to get them covered.

1. Explore these issues in prayer and study. Visit www.CoverTheUninsured.org/faith to download study guides and prayers tailored specifically to your faith.

1. Download additional materials such as bulletin inserts, template listservs, an interfaith breakfast guide and more at www.CoverTheUninsured.org/faith.

Please contact Colin McLean at Colin.McLean@gmmb.com or (202) 572-2974 with questions or for specific ways for your faith community to get involved. We look forward to working with you this year.

To download a Cover the Uninsured Week Web button for your Web site, go to www.CoverTheUninsured.org/materials/.

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