1. Filipino Outreach We are partnering with the Hawaii State Department of Health Bilingual Health Services to participate in "The Queen of Comedy on Tour: Ang Tanging Ina Sa Amerika!" featuring AiAi Delas Alas. Our audio and video advertisements will be aired, our banners will be prominently featured at the venue, and we will distribute flyers in Ilocano, Tagalog, and Visayan at our booth during the two Honolulu shows on 12 and 13 May 2005. 2. Protect Medicaid for Children The American Academy of Pediatrics, National Association of Children's Hospitals, March of Dimes, and Family Voices joined forces in April 2005 to call on Congress to protect Medicaid from prospective budget cuts and to advocate for the establishment of a commission to evaluate the program. The proposed cuts could slash as much as $20 million dollars from Medicaid over a five-year time period, potentially putting the 26 million children insured by the program at risk. These four prominent child health organizations, along with over 100 pediatricians, are spending the day visiting congressmen and congresswomen to inform them of the true cost of these cuts. They also are pushing for the creation of a commission that would evaluate the benefits and inefficiencies of Medicaid so that congressmen and congresswomen can make educated decisions about the future of the program. 3. New Center for Children and Families Amid high-profile debate on the future of Medicaid, the new Center for Children and Families (CCF) was launched on 5 May 2005 to improve the health of America's low and moderate income children and families. CCF is uniquely focused on developing and disseminating research, strategies, and ideas. The goal of providing all children with health insurance has traditionally enjoyed strong bipartisan support at the federal and state levels; in recent years much progress has been made in reducing the number of uninsured children. CCF will release issue briefs and reports and conduct topical briefings designed to provide information and analysis of health insurance issues, with an emphasis on ways to close the insurance gap for children and their families. CCF will address issues such as potential changes to Medicaid precipitated by recent and ongoing Congressional action and state actions including health insurance innovations in Maine, recent Medicaid cutbacks in Missouri and Tennessee, and the proposed Medicaid overhaul in Florida. "The stakes are high for children and families across the nation," stated CCF Executive Director Cindy Mann. "Medicaid is at the center of the current debate, but too often that debate occurs without all the facts or knowledge of promising approaches for coverage." CCF will not only help shed light on these important issues, but also will work with others to achieve real solutions for children and families. 4. Recipients of Low-Income Assistance Programs What is the picture like for low-wage working families in your area? The Coalition on Human Needs compiled a table showing the number of people using low-income assistance services and the proportion of low-income families and children in each state. To download a copy in PDF format, go to: http://www.chn.org/pdf/statetableprogramrecipients042005.pdf