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Cover the Uninsured Week is April 27 to May 3. Covering Kids and Families is a national effort to highlight the fact that too many Americans are living without health insurance.

According to a Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services survey from 2006, more than 570,000 Wisconsin residents (about 10 percent) were uninsured for all or part of the year. About 98,000 of those were children.

Since Feb. 1, all kids in Wisconsin have been able to get the health care they need at a price their families can afford through BadgerCare Plus. BadgerCare Plus allows every Wisconsin family, regardless of income, to have access to affordable, comprehensive health care coverage for their children.

In addition, BadgerCare Plus also offers coverage for pregnant women, parents, caretaker relatives and youth aging out of foster care.

Catholic Charities is a partner provider of the state to enroll families in BadgerCare Plus. Families without health care coverage can contact the local Catholic Charities at 782-0710 or come to the office at 3710 East Ave. S. in La Crosse to enroll.

Mary Fitzpatrick is emergency services director for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of La Crosse.