This issue of "The Future of Children" focuses on efforts to provide publicly funded health insurance to low-income children in the United States through Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The articles summarize current knowledge and research about which children are uninsured and why, discuss ways to improve access to health care for special populations, explore aspects of designing and marketing public health insurance programs for children, and describe innovative strategies states have used to simplify enrollment and renewal procedures to help boost coverage. Following a statement of purpose for the volume, the articles are: (1) "Health Insurance for Children: Analysis and Recommendations" (Eugene M. Lewit, Courtney Bennett, and Richard E. Behrman); (2) "Historical Overview of Children's Health Care Coverage" (Cindy Mann, Diane Rowland, and Rachel Garfield); (3) "Which Children Are Still Uninsured and Why (John Holahan, Lisa Dubay, and Genevieve M. Kenney); (4) "Enrolling Eligible Children and Keeping Them Enrolled" (Donna Cohen Ross and Ian T. Hill); (5) "Gaps in Coverage for Children in Immigrant Families" (Gabrielle Lessard and Leighton Ku); (6) "The Unique Health Care Needs of Adolescents" (Claire D. Brindis, Madlyn C. Morreale, and Abigail English); (7) "Care of Children with Special Health Care Needs" (Peter G. Szilagyi); (8) "Reducing Health Disparities among Children" (Dana C. Hughes and Sandy Ng); (9) "How Public Health Insurance Programs for Children Work" (Kirsten Wysen, Cynthia Pernice, and Trish Riley); (10)"Promoting Public Health Insurance Programs for Children" (Michael J. Perry); 11) "Balancing Efficiency and Equity in the Design of Coverage Expansions for Children" (Linda J. Blumberg); (12) "Premium Assistance" (Richard E. Curtis and Edward Neuschler); (13) "Express Lane Eligibility" (Dawn Horner, Wendy Lazarus, and Beth Morrow); (14) "Presumptive Eligibility" (Rachel Klein); and (15) "Universal Health Care for Children: Two Local Initiatives" (Liane A. Wong). All articles contain endnotes. The issue concludes with a glossary of selected terms and acronyms, and a 23-item bibliography. (KB)