1. Announcements *We love kids so are pleased to announce the birth of Amelia Hunter Colby to state coalition member Dorothy Colby of Ask Aloha United Way! *The videotapes we produced with Med-QUEST and Olelo are ready for purchase (six dollars each). *The next CHIP update meeting is Wednesday, 11 October at the State Capitol in Room 229 at 9:00 AM. For further information, please call Senator Chun Oakland's office at 586-6130. *Celebrate our keiki and opio! October 2000 is Children and Youth Month in Hawaii. For a complete list of activities go to "Celebrate Hawaii's Keiki". 2. Children In The States Data The complete report, an annual publication from the Children's Defense Fund, provides comprehensive information about the condition of children and their families. The profiles for each state include updated information on the status of children in a variety of areas. Children's health is examined through data on uninsured children, state-specific information on CHIP, prenatal care, low birthweight, infant mortality, child immunizations, and the teen birth rate. Also profiled is the number of families receiving child care assistance in each state compared to the number eligible, the average cost of child care compared to that of public college tuition in the state, and state-specific child care regulations. State-specific family income is explored through recent information on the number of poor children in each state, along with participation rates in the food stamp program, Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), School Lunch and Breakfast programs and Child and Adult Care Food Programs (CACFP). 3. New Clearinghouse on Children and Family Launched The Columbia University Institute for Child and Family Policy is pleased to announce the launching of a new web site. The Clearinghouse on International Developments in Child, Youth, and Family Policies provides cross-national, comparative information and linkages regarding the policies, programs, benefits, and services available in the advanced industrialized countries to address child, youth, and family needs. Initial coverage focuses on twenty-two of the Organization for Economic Development (OECD) countries and expansion to other countries and parts of the world is planned. Initial funding provided by the W. T. Grant Foundation. 4. Child Care Subsidies: Strategies to Provide Outreach to Eligible Families The Welfare Information Network describes outreach strategies being used at the state and local levels to inform low-income families about their child care options and their eligibility for assistance. 5. New Publication Features Real-Life Stories of Uninsured Families The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured is releasing a new report "In Their Own Words: The Uninsured Talk About Living Without Health Insurance" profiling eight uninsured families from across the country. These real-life stories are useful to understand the personal experiences behind the statistics and are intended to complement the analytical work of the Commission. You may find the new report, basic fact sheets, a chartbook, and in-depth background papers on the uninsured issue on the Kaiser Family Foundation Web site at http://www.kff.org/uninsured/2207-index.cfm.