Monday is the first day of school in East Baton Rouge. As children arrive with their pencils, paper and notebooks, officials from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Department of Education and the East Baton Rouge Parish School system urge them to get health care coverage.

A news conference is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 9 to remind parents about the Louisiana Children’s Health Insurance Program. The news conference will be held at 11 a.m. in the library of Westdale Middle School, 5620 Claycut Road in Baton Rouge.

Attendees include Dr. Fred Cerise, LDH secretary, Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard and Rene Greer, EBR Schools chief of staff.

Beginning Monday, children returning to school will receive information about LaCHIP, Louisiana’s no-cost health care program for children. This is the Department of Health and Hospital’s sixth annual back-to-school effort, and according to Dr. Cerise, this is the health agency’s prime chance to enroll more children into LaCHIP.

“Each year, with the assistance of the Department of Education and school systems like East Baton Rouge Parish, we have been able to partner with the free lunch program as a way to alert parents about no-cost health care,” Cerise said. “This is always our most successful outreach effort, with us seeing the biggest gains in enrollment when school begins.”

What:  LaCHIP News Conference
When:  Monday, Aug. 9, @ 11 a.m.
Where: Westdale Middle School, 5620 Claycut Road, Baton Rouge