This instructional school-based outreach guide is designed to help state Medicaid and state Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) agencies to initiate and sustain school-based outreach targeted to children potentially eligible for enrollment in Medicaid and SCHIP programs. Based on a review of state best practices undertaken by the U.S. Departments of Education, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services, the guide provides recommendations for maximizing school-based enrollment in the insurance programs that give children access to health care. The guide's introduction describes the population of uninsured children and details reasons for lacking insurance and for not enrolling for Medicaid. The second section of the guide discusses why schools are the best conduit to the uninsured, noting that schools are among the most trusted messengers in the society, supply a range of valuable services and supports outside of formal education to the residents of their communities, and are already working with community partners involved in health-related activities. This section also notes that schools are already burdened with responsibilities and that they must receive significant support from partnering state agencies. The third section of the guide includes several suggestions for and examples of ways that states have supported successful school-based outreach. These efforts include those related to streamlining the application form and process, providing funding and in-kind support to help schools already stretched beyond their means, and supporting outreach through communication, data-tracking, and evaluation. Specific strategies to increase success include piggy-backing opportunities for enrollment to applying for free and reduced price school lunches, partnering with health providers, developing culturally appropriate outreach materials, and developing media campaigns. (Contains 10 references.) (KB)