FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 6, 2008

CONTACT: Barbara Best, Texas Executive Director, Children’s Defense Fund
713.664.4080, bbest@childrensdefense.org

TEXAS NONPROFITS RECEIVE $225,000 GRANT FROM DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO COVER ALL UNINSURED CHILDREN IN TEXAS

“Recently, Texas has made significant progress in the fight to cover all children, and the Foundation hopes to encourage and support committed advocates like the Texas Collaborative, who are working with state policymakers to finish the job and cover every Texas child,” said Foundation President and CEO Carol S. Larson.

The grant is part of the Foundation’s national Finish Line Project, a multi-year campaign in eight states to support advocacy for state policy to cover every uninsured child. The Texas Collaborative and other Finish Line grantees will be provided both financial and technical support to reach this goal.

Barbara Best, Texas Executive Director of the Children’s Defense Fund said that the investment in Texas will make a significant impact in reducing the number of uninsured children nationally: “Of the 9 million uninsured children in America, 1.5 million of them live right here in Texas. By enrolling Texas children in health coverage, we help ensure that all American children get the healthcare that they need to grow into productive workers and responsible citizens.”

“CPPP is proud to be part of this effort that builds on our commitment to ensuring that all Texas children have comprehensive, cost-effective health coverage,” added Anne Dunkelberg, Associate Director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities.

The Texas Collaborative was selected because of its health policy experience and effectiveness as an advocate for children and families, as well as its overwhelming support from the business community. In 2007, the eight largest chambers of commerce throughout Texas endorsed the children’s health coverage agenda. Legislative changes from 2007 will restore health coverage to 127,000 Texas children.

Dan Wolterman, Chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership and President and CEO of Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, said that enrolling uninsured children in health coverage promotes the health and well-being of children and the economic health of Texas.

"Access to health coverage helps maintain a healthy business climate for Texas employers by providing cost-effective, preventive care for children. The health costs of the uninsured has become an economic burden of the business community through property taxes and lost productivity of workers with sick family members. Cost-effective health care options like the Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid are essential to the economic growth of Texas."

As Susan Craven, Executive Director of Texans Care for Children said, “Texas children deserve better. With the help of the Packard grant, we can continue to work with Texas business leaders, policy makers, faith leaders and other partners to give health care access to all of the state’s children.”

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About Children’s Defense Fund
The Leave No Child Behind® mission of the Children’s Defense Fund is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. Children’s Defense Fund of Texas offices in Houston, Austin and the Rio Grande Valley work to ensure every child a Healthy Start in life and access to affordable health coverage. www.cdftexas.org

About Center for Public Policy Priorities
The Center for Public Policy Priorities is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization committed to improving public policies to better the economic and social conditions of low- and moderate-income Texans. To learn more, sign up for e-mails, or make a donation, go to www.cppp.org.

About Texans Care for Children
Texans Care For Children works to improve the lives of Texas children by building commitment and action for improved public policy and programs. The state's first multi-issue child advocacy non-profit brings together groups from all over Texas in a united fight for children's interests. Texans Care For Children is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, and receives no federal or state funding, relying entirely on foundation grants, corporate donations, membership dues, and the generosity of individuals who believe in the organizations work. www.texanscareforchildren.org

About The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a private family foundation created in 1964 by David Packard (1912–1996), cofounder of the Hewlett-Packard Company, and Lucile Salter Packard (1914–1987). The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations in the following program areas: Conservation and Science; Population; and Children, Families, and Communities. The Foundation makes national and international grants and also has a special focus on the Northern California Counties of San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey. Foundation grant-making includes support for a wide variety of activities including direct services, research and policy development, and public information and education. The Foundation does not make grants intended to influence legislation or support candidates for political office. The Foundation’s endowment was approximately $6.6 billion as of December 31, 2007. General program grant awards totaled approximately $274 million in 2007. The Foundation has a grant-making budget of approximately $300 million in 2008.