Children's Health Fund (CHF) and The Clorox Company Partner to Launch Connect Kids to Care

NEW YORK, April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Health insurance reform passed Congress, but health insurance doesn't equal health care. One in five children in the U.S. live in poverty and millions of children don't have access to regular check-ups and timely health care visits when sick. Through a new social media-driven campaign, the Children's Health Fund (CHF) and Clorox are working to change this and connect kids to ongoing health care with the click of a mouse.

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The multi-year Connect Kids to Care program will use Facebook to rally people across the country to the cause and create awareness of the issue. As part of its commitment to preventive health for families, Clorox is donating half a million dollars to CHF to help support their goal of providing half a million health care visits to disadvantaged children across the country, over the next two years. In addition, Clorox is donating $1.00 for each new fan on the Clorox Facebook page, up to $100,000.*

"Delaying a child's health care can mean a lifetime of consequences," says Irwin Redlener, MD, Pediatrician, Co-Founder, and President of CHF. "We are excited to partner with Clorox to Connect Kids to Care and continue our work helping ensure children get the essential care they deserve."

Without access to regular health care, many children go without treatment for common ailments like asthma or cavities, which can lead to bigger problems if left untreated. CHF's mobile medical clinics go into underserved communities to bring ongoing health care to children at schools, community centers, homeless shelters and other places in the heart of the community. In addition to pediatric primary care providers, the CHF network consists of other dedicated health care professionals including dentists, mental health providers and nutritionists.  

How to Help Connect Kids to Care

People can help support the program in several ways; by becoming a fan, changing their Facebook status to create awareness, making a donation on their own, or forwarding a message about the program from celebrity supporter, Julianne Moore.

"It's our responsibility to help keep children healthy and well whenever possible so they have the opportunity to be anything they want to be when they grow up," says Moore, mother of two, Academy Award nominated actress and supporter of the Connect Kids to Care program. "It's very simple for each of us to do such a small thing, especially when it can have such a huge and positive impact on the lives of children in need and help ease the burden of a fellow mother."

To help Clorox spread the word and help CHF provide even more health care visits to children in need you can:

1. Connect: Visit the Clorox page on Facebook^® (www.Facebook.com/Clorox) to learn more about the program and become a fan. Clorox will donate $1.00 to CHF for each new fan that joins the Clorox Facebook page, up to $100,000.**
2. Share: Help spread the word to friends and family by changing your Facebook status (additional details on Facebook.com/Clorox).
3. Act: Visit the Clorox Facebook page to find out more and learn how a $10 donation can help CHF provide health care to children in need.

"Clorox has a long history of making products that promote a cleaner world and healthier lives for families. We are so honored to be partnering with Children's Health Fund to help support their unique mission of providing ongoing health care to children in need," says Jon Balousek, Vice President of Marketing, Clorox Cleaning Division. "This partnership allows people to have an impact not only on their own family's health and well being, but also on the lives of other families across the country."

Encouraging Healthier Habits

By starting conversations online, the Connect Kids to Care program will show people ways to maintain a healthier environment for their families through expert advice, wellness tips and consumer-generated ideas.

After helping make an impact on the lives of others, families will be encouraged to make sure they are doing all they can to maintain a healthier environment in their own homes. Ensuring that everyone is getting regular check-ups and practicing other healthy habits can impact an entire family and everyone in the surrounding communities. These habits include:

• Encourage your family to wash their hands well with warm water and soap. This helps prevent the spread of infection.
• Talk to your kids often about how they're feeling. Simply asking this question can help you be better informed about any health problems your child may be experiencing.
• Keep your kids on a regular teeth-brushing schedule. Watch them brush every now and then to make sure they're using the proper technique.
• Make sure you are all getting plenty of sleep, eating right, exercising and wearing warm clothes when it's cold.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces like light switches and counters to help reduce the spread of germs.
• Keep the whole family up-to-date on important immunizations.  

For more information on maintaining a healthier life, click here to access CHF's health education materials.

About Children's Health Fund

Founded in 1987 by singer/songwriter Paul Simon and pediatrician/advocate Irwin Redlener, MD, Children's Health Fund (CHF) is the nation's leading pediatric provider of mobile-based health care for homeless and low-income children and their families. CHF's mission is to bring health care directly to those in need through the development and support of innovative medical programs, response to public health crises, and the promotion of guaranteed access to health care for all children. CHF currently has 50 mobile medical clinics serving 100's of locations across the country. Over the past 23 years, the organization has supported more than two million health care visits for disadvantaged children, often in places where doctors and health care providers are in short supply. For more information about CHF, visit www.childrenshealthfund.org.

About The Clorox Company

The Clorox Company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with fiscal year 2009 revenues of $5.5 billion. Clorox markets some of consumers' most trusted and recognized brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products; Green Works^® natural cleaners; Armor All^® and STP^® auto-care products; Fresh Step^® and Scoop Away^® cat litter; Kingsford^® charcoal; Hidden Valley^® and K C Masterpiece^® dressings and sauces; Brita^® water-filtration systems; Glad^® bags, wraps and containers; and Burt's Bees^® natural personal care products. With approximately 8,300 employees worldwide, the company manufactures products in more than two dozen countries and markets them in more than 100 countries. Clorox is committed to making a positive difference in the communities where its employees work and live. Founded in 1980, The Clorox Company Foundation has awarded cash grants totaling more than $77 million to nonprofit organizations, schools and colleges. In fiscal 2009 alone, the foundation awarded $3.6 million in cash grants, and Clorox made product donations valued at $7.8 million. For more information about Clorox, visit www.TheCloroxCompany.com.

* From April 2010 to January 2012

** From April 2010 to January 2012

SOURCE Clorox

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