Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families applauds our leaders in Washington for making health reform a priority in 2009. Vulnerable children and families deserve equal access to quality, affordable health care in their communities. With momentum and urgency for federal health reform growing, AACF encourages child advocates to keep children and families at the center of the debate. We must ensure that our most vulnerable families have access to health insurance and to the quality health services they need.

Any reform plan should build on and strengthen the successful Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs, which provide critical services to low-income children and families. Building on a foundation of Medicaid and CHIP, this publication details questions of health reform proposals that advocates should ask.