Health Health Insurance (100% Campaign)  Nearly one million children in California lack health insurance. We have made great progress insuring more children in the past decade, but we have more work to do to make sure that every child in the state has health insurance. We work on access to health insurance through the 100% Campaign: Health Insurance for Every California Child, a joint effort of Children Now, Children’s Defense Fund--California and The Children’s Partnership. Oral Health  Oral health problems are the leading cause of missed school days for California children, yet oral health care is still seen as an “extra” by many policymakers and even by families. Children Now is launching a new project to enhance awareness of the importance of children’s oral health and to increase access to oral health care in California. Check back for more information about the status of children’s oral health and about how to get more children smiling. Childhood Obesity  There are many important steps to combating the epidemic of childhood obesity: improving state and local policies that advance children’s access to quality health care, oral health care and after school and early education programs that encourage good nutrition and physical activities. As an organization that looks at the whole child--all the institutions and influences that may affect a child’s health, education and well being--Children Now takes a holistic approach to finding reasons and solutions to the obesity crisis. Child Safety  Too many children in California are at risk of becoming victims of violence: tens of thousands of children live in dangerous neighborhoods, and nearly half of all middle and high school students report other students bringing weapons to school. After declining for decades, the homicide rate for children, ages 15-19, recently rose by 20%, an indicator that extreme violence is an everyday part of many children's lives.