Santa Clara County 's Children's Health Initiative (CHI)-the first such initiative in the state-began taking shape in early 2000. At the time, an estimated 71,000 of the county's children were without health insurance. With the conviction that all children need and deserve access to health care services, two organizations-Working Partnerships USA and People Acting in Community Together (PACT)-began a grassroots effort to make affordable health insurance available to all children in the county.

The approach was two-pronged. First, many of the county's uninsured children were eligible for one of the two existing government-subsidized programs (Medi-Cal and Healthy Families). Through extensive and culturally sensitive outreach efforts, these children could be found and enrolled in the appropriate, already available, insurance program. Second, a significant number of uninsured children were not eligible for Medi-Cal or Healthy Families (because of immigration status or family income), and had no access to affordable insurance coverage. Providing for these children would require an innovative program designed with their specific needs in mind.

In May 2000, Working Partnerships and PACT approached the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors with a unique proposal: that the county consider utilizing tobacco settlement funds to help meet the needs of uninsured children. The Board accepted the challenge and directed the Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System (SCVHHS) to develop a plan to make health insurance available and accessible to all children residing in Santa Clara County with a family income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.

In response, SCVHHS began planning with PACT, Working Partnerships, and Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP, one of the county's Medi-Cal and Healthy Families providers) to develop and implement what we now know as the Children's Health Initiative. Later, the Social Services Agency joined the team. Together, these founding organizations developed the Healthy Kids insurance product and established a comprehensive outreach program to provide information and application assistance to eligible families. The outreach program and the Healthy Kids insurance product together form the county's Children's Health Initiative.

In December 2000, FIRST 5 Santa Clara County (then known as the Children and Families First Commission) became CHI's first financial supporter with a $2,000,000 challenge grant. Later that same month, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors allocated funds from the tobacco settlement. The remainder of the start-up money came from the City of San José and Santa Clara Family Health Plan .

Outreach and enrollment efforts began on January 2, 2001, and Healthy Kids (with SCFHP as the plan administrator) began insuring children one month later. Since then, CHI has made a dramatic impact on enrollment in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. This ability to leverage resources by ensuring that children are enrolled in the appropriate subsidized program continues to be one of CHI's greatest strengths. The growth of the Healthy Kids program has been dramatic as well. By April 2004, total enrollment was over 13,000 and demand for the program remains high.

CHI has been a success because of the dedicated support of numerous foundations, corporations, and individuals from the community. Thank you!!