Effective advocacy in the states is critical to reaching the goal of covering all children. In support of state-based advocacy, First Focus has partnered with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to support the Narrative Communications Project, which was piloted in 2006-2007.

The project’s initial year saw impressive advances for children’s coverage in Narrative Communications Project grantee states. Washington State, for example, crossed the Narrative’s “finish line” in 2007, adopting policies to cover all children. And Texas reversed restrictive eligibility policies that had caused dramatic drops in children’s coverage, paving the way for the first significant children’s coverage expansion in years. Effective and creative application of Narrative Communications Project tools and techniques played a critical role in these and other wins for children in the Narrative’s first year.

The Narrative Communications Project provides grant support as well as peer-to-peer learning, training, and tailored technical assistance using the Narrative communications tool to a select group of advocacy groups that are working on advancing children’s health insurance coverage in their states. Communications training and technical assistance are coordinated through Spitfire Strategies, a national strategic communications group.

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