Parents are encouraged to enroll their children in the Florida KidCare insurance program

Working parents are encouraged to apply for low-cost health and dental insurance provided through the Florida KidCare program.

To help families in the North Central Florida area become more informed about the program, Unity Family Community Center (UFCC) in Williston has partnered with Florida KidCare to ensure families in Alachua, Levy and Marion counties are insured, said Joyce Wilson, executive director of UFCC.

“They (Florida KidCare) had a funding opportunity available and we applied to that RFP (request for proposal),” Wilson said in a telephone interview with The Gainesville Guardian, adding UFCC received $6,000 in funding to help spread the word about Florida KidCare services through Oct. 31.

Millions of children count on Florida KidCare for the high-quality health and dental insurance they need from birth through their 19th birthday, Wilson wrote in an email to The Guardian. Florida KidCare is designed to provide services to children at each stage of growth and development. Health and dental services are delivered through quality plans that offer a choice of local doctors, dentists, specialists, hospitals, pharmacies and other healthcare providers, she continued.

Benefits include but are not limited to doctor visits, checkups, vision and hearing, dental care and hospital stays.

Florida KidCare includes free, subsidized and competitively priced options based on family income and household size. Families not qualifying for free or subsidized coverage may purchase a competitively priced plan, Wilson also wrote in the email.

Lawfully residing immigrant children are eligible without a waiting period, and information about a parent’s immigration status won’t be asked, Wilson wrote.

There is no application fee and enrollment in the program is available throughout the year by simply filling out the application, and Florida KidCare will match your child with the right option, Wilson wrote.

“Our goal is to provide outreach to 1,000 families in our region,” Wilson said in the phone interview.

Florida KidCare: Insure your child with Florida KidCare

To help get the word out about Florida KidCare, UFCC was present at numerous back-to-school events in the region and will continue to accept invitations to provide information at churches, community events and other activities through Oct. 31, Wilson said.

Apply online at floridakidcare.org or call 1-888-540-KIDS (5437). If you would like additional information, please call 352-529-2030 or email jwilson@ufccflorida.org.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: North Central Florida nonprofit helps spread word about Florida KidCare