Communiqué
America’s first health insurance for children of working poor in “Children In Crisis: The Story of Chip” – June 30 at 10 pm
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Monday, June 30 at 10:00 pm
During one of the nation’s worst economic collapses, citizens in Pittsburgh banded together and created America’s first health insurance program for the children of working poor families. It was appropriately named, “The Caring Program.”
On August 5, 1997, a bill sponsored by Senators Orrin Hatch and Edward Kennedy, and largely modeled after The Caring Program, was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It was exactly 13 years, 2 months and 23 days after a group of desperate protesters entered a church on the opposite side of town and asked for the chance to speak.
They were heard and helped, and ultimately children’s healthcare was revolutionized. The journey of a grassroots community effort to a federal program is testament to the power of listening, caring and working together to achieve a transformative result.