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Covering Kids and Families (CKF) is a national initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to increase the number of eligible children and adults who are benefiting from federal and state health care coverage programs. Working through broad statewide and local coalitions, this four-year initiative builds on the work and experience of the Foundation's Covering Kids Initiative.

The The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation CKF initiative funds one project per state to develop a statewide and at least two local projects to work on the Initiative's three goals:

• conduct and coordinate outreach programs;
  
• simplify enrollment and renewal processes; and
  
• coordinate existing health care coverage programs.

New York's Covering Kids and Families Initiative
In NYS, the CKF initiative includes a statewide and two local coalitions, one in New York City and the second in a three county area upstate (Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties). The statewide and local coalitions will each address the goals of outreach, simplification and coordination of coverage programs for both children and adults. This approach builds on the individual strengths of each organization to ensure successful implementation of this project.

The Covering Kids and Families Statewide Coalition
The coalition, co-chaired by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and CDF-NY, expands on the work of the previous Covering Kids coalition. Initial efforts include development of an electronic application and an aggressive grass roots public awareness campaign on the availability of Child Health Plus, Medicaid and Family Health Plus and how families can sign-up. The coalition will develop and work with the local coalitions to test simplified enrollment and renewal strategies. Examples of this work include an electronic application, improving re-certification systems, and creation of a simplified renewal application. This group will also take a leadership role in seeking opportunities for replicating successful strategies and advocating for systems improvements that make it easier for families and individuals to get and keep health insurance. The statewide coalition meets twice a year.

New York City - NYC's project will build on the successful work of The Downstate New York Child Health Now! Coalition. To plan and implement the project CDF-NY has established a CKF Leadership Group. CKF efforts in NYC includes working directly with programs that serve large numbers of uninsured children and adults (i.e., WIC, ESL, Adult Literacy and GED programs) to design and implement enrollment strategies, a Back to School campaign, the SHOUT initiative and many other outreach strategies. Additionally, the NYC project will pilot test the strategies developed by the statewide CKF coalition.

Upstate - The Albany Office of CDF-NY is working with Saratoga Care and Upper Hudson Primary Care Consortium, the facilitated enrollment lead agencies in Saratoga, Washington and Warren counties on a local coalition. Project staff work with coalition members to develop coordinated outreach and enrollment strategies that target community programs that serve large numbers of uninsured children and adults. The coalition will also develop a student volunteer project that trains young people to assist in outreach and enrollment efforts. This local coalition will also pilot test simplification and coordination strategies developed by the statewide CKF coalition.