Although one in three children in immigrant families in the United States lives in California, few studies have documented the health of this population. This lack of data has been of particular concern since passage of the 1996 federal welfare reform legislation, which reduced access to health services for many immigrants and their children. Even where these children are entitled to Medicaid or the new Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), perceived threats based on immigration or citizenship status have created access barriers, endangering the health and well-being of both immigrant and U.S.-born children in immigrant families.

This study is based on discussions and research gathered at two public forums sponsored by the Board on Children, Youth, and Families of the National Research Council/Institute of Medicine and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research on December 10–11, 1998, in Sacramento and Los Angeles