CCHI’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of California children and families by supporting its members in meeting the needs of their communities.

Founded in 2007, California Coverage & Health Initiatives (CCHI) is a statewide association of 24 member, nonprofit, and government organizations who represent over 600 local partners that enroll people into subsidized health insurance, navigate their health care, and help them maintain their coverage and access to care.

Collectively, CCHI and its members and partners have helped enroll more than 167,000 previously uninsured Californians. In 2023, CCHI and its members also assisted over 260,000 individuals through Outreach, Enrollment, Retention, and Utilization (OERU) services throughout the state.

In 2001, Santa Clara County launched the first Children’s Health Initiative (CHI), followed closely by San Francisco, San Mateo, and Los Angeles counties. Later, in 2007, the effort to establish a statewide organization to represent all Children’s Health Initiatives was spearheaded by CHI of Greater Los Angeles. With the support of CHI-GLA, California Coverage & Health Initiatives was established into a statewide organization that represents county CHIs and community-based organizations (CBOs) that provide health coverage to tens of thousands of children. In addition to insuring more than 167,000 previously uninsured children, the CHIs also connect over 125,000 children each year to Medi-Cal.

Children’s Health Initiatives (CHIs) are characterized by leadership through a diverse coalition of community stakeholders who seek to improve their community’s health by enrolling families into coverage and other services. Additionally, CHI sponsored, locally funded Healthy Kids Programs make access to affordable health coverage possible for families who would otherwise lack access to state and federal programs due to income or immigration status.