Bill Clinton

“ For children, childhood seems to last forever; but for adults-particularly for those of us who are parents-it passes in the blink of an eye. The little girl smiling at us from her tricycle and the little boy running to catch the school bus will soon be driving away to their first jobs. One of the greatest gifts we can offer our children while they are still in our care is a healthy start in life. ”

“ These children are less likely to receive the primary care services they need to maintain good health, and they are at risk of receiving lower quality care. Too often they become trapped in a tragic downward spiral-poor health keeps them out of school, keeps them from pursuing their studies with energy and enthusiasm, and often keeps them from acquiring the knowledge and self-esteem they need to reach their full potential. With this new children's health initiative, we can provide millions of children the coverage they need to grow up healthy and strong. ”

“ We are making tremendous progress as a nation in helping more children get that healthy start. This year I signed into law historic legislation to extend health care coverage to millions of uninsured children. This $24 billion initiative over 5 years is the largest investment in children's health since the creation of Medicaid in 1965. On October 1, the Federal Government and the States began a partnership to help provide meaningful health insurance to children whose families earn too much for Medicaid but too little to afford private coverage. ”