Children's insurance advocate seeks help

Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children's Defense Fund, said Friday comprehensive health insurance for all children will be her top national legislative agenda in January.
 
Edelman, speaking in Houston at the Jack and Jill of America national convention, said insurance coverage for health care and mental health is a key component to reducing children's chances of going to prison.

She also asked Jack and Jill members to help her organization with a petition drive for national insurance for children.

"We will be fighting and we will be working to get legislation introduced in January 2007 to cover all children because they (elected officials) are assaulting Medicaid. They are assaulting CHIP," Edelman said after her luncheon speech.

She was referring to the Texas Children's Health Insurance Program, which is under intense scrutiny.

During her speech, Edelman talked about health care and other critical social issues that have to be addressed to stop the "cradle to prison pipeline."

She said a child is born without health insurance every 51 seconds. Of 9 million uninsured children, about 90 percent live in working families.

If a national insurance program had been in place, Edelman said, the children affected by Hurricane Katrina wouldn't be having problems today.

"These Katrina children, 11 months after they were scattered all over this nation, are still trying to wrestle with their demons without health and mental health coverage," she said. "We just need to change that."

Other issues that contribute to children going to prison are poverty, teen pregnancy, drug abuse and school dropouts.

Alice Leigh Peoples, Jack and Jill national president, said she's sure her group will embrace the petition.

_______________________________________________________________

By DAVID ELLISON

david.ellison@chron.com

Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle