Resources available to encourage well-baby visits: Healthy Beginnings for Babies

Studies show that many newborns in the United States do not receive the preventive care necessary for them to have a healthy start in life.

The Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition is partnering with Merck, the National Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition, and the National Medical Association for a second year on Healthy Beginnings for Babies, an initiative that emphasizes the importance of well-baby visits and receiving all recommended immunizations during the first year of life.  This initiative focuses on reaching lower-income African American and Hispanic parents.

As part of this initiative, parents can receive a free 12-month Guide for Baby’s 1st Year, available in both English and Spanish. Providers can also receive free posters that express the importance of keeping up with a child’s well-baby visits.

 If you are interested in ordering the guides or posters or would like more information about the Healthy Beginnings for Babies initiative in Chicago, contact Sheila Sanders at ssanders@ilmaternal.org or 312/491-8161 x23. 

During the course of the Spring 2012 session, the Illinois General Assembly passed sweeping Medicaid reform legislation, increased the state cigarette tax by $1/pack to fund Medicaid shortfalls, and passed a FY13 state budget that includes flat funding (i.e. the same amount from FY12) for school health centers and home visiting programs; and adds additional funding, above what was requested in the Governor’s budget, for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance program. 

While the impact of Medicaid cuts will not go into effect until July 1, IMCHC has already received numerous inquiries from clients and providers concerned about these changes. Read IMCHC's analysis of Medicaid reform legislation here.  If you or your clients/patients have questions, please contact us at 312-491-8161. Please let us know that you want to talk about the “Medicaid cuts” and we will connect you with the appropriate staff.

IMCHC plans to collect stories and experiences from the field about the negative impact of Medicaid cuts to advocate for legislation in the Fall Veto Session that reinstates programs and services.

For more information about the status of legislation around maternal and child health initiatives, please read our full policy memo, updated June 18.

AllKids Application Agents
IMCHC and other advocates across the state have signed on to a letter expressing concern with a decision by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to eliminate the technical assistance payment for All Kids Application Agents. Please join us in supporting this vital health care resource in Illinois by signing the letter today.

The Supreme Court is expected to release a historic decision on the Affordable Care Act late this month. The upcoming decision is sure to be one of the biggest stories of the year.

To that end, IMCHC is working with national and state partners to develop a strategy for moving health reform forward in Illinois, regardless of the decision.  In order to highlight the importance of this law and the positive impact it is having here, we are collecting statements from families across the state. If you or someone you know would like to share your story of health reform success, please contact Kathy Waligora.

On the day a ruling is released, join IMCHC and other health advocates in Chicago’s Daley Plaza (on Washington, between Dearborn and Clark) at 5pm for a rally and speak out. For more information, contact Kathy Chan.