Make sure health is on school check list
It is important that all kindergartners starting school this year are healthy and ready to learn. I urge all parents and caregivers to make sure their children have a wellness checkup before the start of school because healthy students learn better. That is why kindergartners need to have their kindergartner health assessment (KHA) completed and returned to school. N.C. law requires that families of all kindergartners submit the KHA form to school no later than 30 days after the start of the semester or they may face suspension. Parents need to fill out all “Parent Complete” sections on both sides of the form.
If the child doesn’t have health insurance, he or she may qualify for Health Check (Medicaid) or N.C. Health Choice, free or low-cost health insurance programs for children. Families are often surprised that their children may be eligible based on their income. For example, children in a four-person family with working parents who earn $3,725 a month before taxes or a child of a single caregiver with monthly income of $2,452 before taxes may qualify for Health Check or N.C. Health Choice.
For income and eligibility guidelines, visit www. NCHealthyStart.org. Both programs offer a comprehensive package of benefits, including checkups, sick visits, hospital care, dental care, etc. Compared to insured children, uninsured kids are 25 percent more likely to miss school, four times more likely to delay or avoid care and 20 percent have untreated vision problems, all of which affect children’s performance at school. Families can obtain an application from local department of social services and online at www.NCHealthyStart. org. The N.C. Pediatric Society Foundation is leading an initiative called Healthy and Ready to Learn that focuses on increasing coverage among “eligible and uninsured” children from low-income families by working with pediatricians’ offices, school nurses, school staff and other organizations for the well-being of North Carolina children.
— India Foy
Foy is a local community coordinator for the North Carolina Pediatric Society Foundation.
Praise for Hatch
A new breed of politician was elected to Congress in November 2010. They successfully fulfilled the first segment of their pledge — the U.S. debt problem was brought to the forefront of every type of media worldwide. In the midst of it all, Sen. Orrin Hatch truly amazed me.
On July 31, Senator Hatch stood on the Senate floor refusing to vote for $2.7 trillion to be handed over to President Barack Obama. He wanted some answers from Obama and Timothy Geitner, which he formally requested. Questions such as: Where is the TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) money? Where is the stimulus money? Where is the $1.7 trillion Obama received in March? Neither man provided any answers. As things turned out, Senator Hatch voted, “No.”
Just days before his speech on the Senate floor, Senator Hatch penned another letter. This letter was sent to Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Senator Hatch had concerns about the Second Amendment via the U.N. Small Arms Treaty. Forty-five other senators signed the concerns. Double-talking Sen. Kay Hagan did not sign the letter — no Democrats had any concerns about gun control.
On Aug. 4, 2009, Hagan sent a reply to my concerns about gun control. She proclaimed to be a strong advocate for Second Amendment rights. She can’t have it both ways.
Anyway, just saying “hats off” to Sen. Orrin Hatch!
— Irene Dalton
Salisbury