Stafford awarded $36,000 grant to insure children

Stafford, Va. –– Two local organizations have been awarded grant money to help insure children without health insurance.

Through a special grant between Virginia and the Stafford County Head Start Program, children up to age 19 are now eligible to receive comprehensive health coverage, according to Virginia’s Project Connect.

Under the rules of the program, the children must live in households with incomes at 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $44,100 for a family of four, to be eligible to receive the insurance.

Thought its available, many parents don’t know they can sign up to receive the assistance.

“As parents prepare to send their children back to school, many often struggle to afford their child’s annual physicals and well check-ups,” said Melanie Crummett, Project Connect outreach worker at the Stafford County Head Start. “Thanks to a grant from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, parents in Stafford County have help, and this is the time to use it.”

Stafford’s grant totaled $36,295 – $22,206 for the head start program and $14, 089 for the department of social services.

The grant will allow an employee of the county to identify uninsured children and those who need assistance.

Project connect has helped 1,964 children since it began. An estimated 180,000 children in Virginia lack health insurance, according to a Project Connect spokeswoman.

A similar program is administered in Farifax and Prince William counties through Inova Health Services.