RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – On Thursday, The “Healthy and Ready to Learn” (HRL) initiative will expand outreach and insure children entering school in 16 high-need North Carolina counties, Governor Beverly Perdue announced.

The North Carolina HRL partnership will identify uninsured children who are entering kindergarten and are eligible for Medicaid or N.C. Health Choice.

“When our children enter public school, we need to ensure that they are healthy and ready to learn,” said Governor Perdue. “This initiative will help us reach out to more young children across North Carolina to make sure they are receiving the care and coverage they need.”

In the first year of the initiative 16 counties will be benefited but in year 2, the program will expand statewide to all infants of 4 or 5 years old. The HRL is funded by a $678,210 grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The 16 counties targeted to receive HRL benefits are Cleveland, Columbus, Cumberland, Davidson, Edgecombe, Gaston, Halifax, Harnett, Lenoir, Pitt, Randolph, Robeson, Rutherford, Vance, Wayne and Wilson counties.

Governor Perdue asked the N.C. Pediatric Society Foundation to lead the HRL Partnership. It has an accomplished record in working to improve health care access for medically under-served children.