Why is this service needed?

Aren’t there facilities and programs already in place that provide healthcare for uninsured kids?

Actually, when it comes to healthcare, there are no simple answers. In Walton County alone, 60% of working families have no dental insurance and the numbers seem to be growing daily. The widening gap between those that are able to afford healthcare and those that are not.

The divide is causing many of our children to fall through the cracks in the health care system. Currently, the State of Florida offers a government funded insurance program, HEALTHY KIDS, and a Medicaid funded FLORIDA KID CARE. The cumbersome and intimidating application is not user friendly and has a lengthy delay between the application and the approval decision. Some low income families may not meet the criteria and others may not qualify because of citizenship. Others may have recently moved to the area and not be enrolled.

Children’s Volunteer Health Network is, for a great many children and families in our communities, the first and strongest line of defense against a vast array of childhood health complaints which if left untreated, can become chronic – even life-threatening health problems.