Open letter to the #Michigan Legislature regarding the School Aid Budget

Note: 📓 Child and Adolescent Health Centers are an essential component of the primary care system, particularly for children who do not have pediatricians. #AuthorityHealth sponsors two school-based health centers, which provide much-needed connection to primary #pediatric care and promote a healthy environment for learning in our schools. This is an open appeal for our legislators to do the right thing and preserve dedicated funding for #schoolbasedhealthcenters.

✍ Dear Michigan Legislators,

As you work to finalize our state budget, please be aware 💡 of a major resource in your district that’s at risk: the funding of Child and Adolescent Health Centers.

As students have returned to school, we are busier than ever with parents arranging for their #children to see a health care provider during the school day for services like well-child visits and sports physicals. We’re also here for any acute ailments that impact them during #school or #sports.

✔️ When a student’s #health is supported, educators can focus on teaching. But when kids have unmet health needs, the challenge of learning becomes so much harder.

✔️ Because of our #ChildandAdolescentHealthCenters, we can support the critical health needs of kids, without having to overcome the obstacles of families to get their child to a #doctor, such as lack of transportation, time away from work, and classroom #absences.

🟡 Rolling up funding in the new per-pupil allowance puts #healthcare for children at risk and jeopardizes millions in federal #Medicaid match funding that directly supports the cost of care. Just last year, the #Medicaidmatch provided funding for 150,000 unduplicated visits for kids.

🌟 Our #healthcenters are busier than ever. Kids need us, and they need us at school.

🛑 Taking away access to these health providers is a consequence for #kids, #parents, #educators, and entire communities in your district.

🟢 Please protect the line items for $33 million in subsection 31a(7) and $14.3 million in subsection 31n(5) of the #SchoolAidBudget to ensure health care services remain available to children in communities. Thank you.

Michigan House of Representatives Michigan Senate #childrenshealth #Detroit #SouthfieldMI State of Michigan