About United Way and Cover California's Kids

About United Way

The United Way system includes approximately 1,350 community based United Way organizations nationwide, 39 of which are in California. Each is independent, separately incorporated and governed by local volunteers. United Ways work to bring diverse people and resources together to address the most urgent issues facing their communities.

California United Ways' Goal to Children's Healthcare Coverage

United Ways of California have made children’s healthcare coverage a top priority. United Way knows that in order to get there, we need to think about shared solutions that involve the public and private sector. United Way is working with a statewide coalition towards the goal of providing health coverage for all of our kids in 2007. Kids can’t wait any longer!

Our role is to engage business leaders and to listen to what they think does and doesn’t work for them, and to share that information with our coalition and other advocates so that any solutions discussed are equitable, shared solutions.

How We Are Doing this Work

Seventeen United Ways covering twenty-two counties and most major population centers in California are working together to identify corporate leaders with potential for leadership in children’s health coverage. Our United Way CEOs and regional coordinators are conducting one-on-one meetings with business leaders with the goal of increasing awareness of children’s health coverage crisis and creating business leaders who are informed and active advocates for children’s health coverage expansion. Our regions and United Ways include:

• North Coast (Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake, Humboldt)
• San Francisco Bay (Bay Area; Silicon Valley)
• Monterey Bay (Santa Cruz)
• Central Valley (Fresno; Tulare; Kern)
• Central Coast (Ventura; Santa Barbara; Northern Santa Barbara County; San Luis Obispo)
• Southern California (Greater Los Angeles; San Diego)
• Inland Empire (Central County; Inland Valleys; Corona-Norco)

For more information or to find out how you can get involved, contact:
Judy Darnell
State Advocacy Coordinator
United Way's Covering California's Children
(831) 465-2210 v
jdarnell@unitedwaysc.org