Healthier Kids Foundation Santa Clara County

Founded in 2000, HKF was established by Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP) to redirect excess funds from their risk pools back to the local community and receive funds, when needed, for research and community outreach.

In December 2000, because of the efforts of Working Partnerships and faith-based People Acting in Community Together to improve the availability and accessibility of health care for children in Santa Clara County, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved the use of tobacco settlement funds to create a first-of-its-kind health insurance program designed to fill the gap left by Medi-Cal and Healthy Families coverage. The Board of Supervisors directed the Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System (SCVHHS) to develop a plan to make comprehensive health insurance available and accessible to Santa Clara County’s uninsured children.

SCVHHS along with PACT, Working Partnerships, Santa Clara County Social Services Agency, and Santa Clara Family Health Plan created the Healthy Kids program, which would, upon implementation, be managed by SCFHP. In addition, these organizations established an extensive outreach plan known as the Children’s Health Initiative, or CHI, to promote enrollment in Medi-Cal, Healthy Families*, and Healthy Kids.

Today, as more and more eligible children are found for the Healthy Kids program, SCFHF’s goal is to obtain sufficient funding to ensure that every eligible child can be enrolled.

How we accomplish HKF’s mission:

Community Outreach, Prevention, and Education Program:  The primary objective of the Community Outreach Prevention and Education (COPE) program is to identify uninsured children and assist their parents in applying for and enrolling their children into subsidized health coverage.  Since its establishment in 2011, the COPE program has established almost 40 partnerships with community-based organizations throughout Santa Clara County and has identified over 1,800 uninsured children.

Baby Gateway:  Launched in December 2012, the Baby Gateway Project’s (BGP) primary goals are to: (1) increase access to health coverage and a medical home for newborns; (2) decrease emergency room use for children under the age of one; and (3) support Medi-Cal parents in creating a safe, healthy, and loving home in which to raise their children. 

The “5 Keys to Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater” class is for parents to learn the structure and support within which children are able to make healthy choices. The project serves parent of 1,000 children a year.

10 Steps to a Healthier You! is a series of classes for childcare providers and their parents to learn how to develop and teach children good eating habits, become and remain physically active, minimize TV time, and get enough sleep. 

VisionFirst: Using high-tech photo optic scan cameras, conduct vision screening among children ages 1-5 in child care and preschool setting to detect vision problems and provide immediate follow-up care so that the children can access vision services.

DentalFirst: Utilizing Registered Dental Assistants, the DentalFirst program will screen preschoolers and kindergartners for cavities and the need for fluoride varnish and sealants.  It is anticipated that the parents of 40% of the children screened will need to to be contacted to ensure that the children receive follow-up dental services.

HearingFirst: Utilizing the latest in hearing screening equipment, the HearingFirst program screens school age children and adolescents (3-18 years old) for undetected hearing issues and assist them with accessing follow up auditory care. An estimated 10% of children screened will need to be contacted to receive follow-up auditory services.