The association of family income with child health is well-known. Compared to children from affluent families, low-income children are more likely to suffer from various chronic and sub-acute health problems including dental decay, asthma, earaches, vision deficiencies, and spotty immunizations. These problems interfere with healthy development. One source of these health disparities may be access to health care. Families of poor children often lack both health insurance and money to pay for medical care. Consequently, they traditionally have been unable to schedule routine visits to doctors, dentists, and optometrists and unable to purchase medication and eyeglasses when prescribed. The State of New Jersey has recently begun a new program, called FamilyCare, which offers no- or low-cost insurance to low-income families. This report examines whether the provision of this insurance affects health care access for children in poor families. Researchers interviewed parents who had recently enrolled in the FamilyCare program, investigating how access for their children to health care has changed since acquiring health insurance. Findings demonstrate that the FamilyCare health insurance program dramatically improves access to health care. Parents who are provided with the necessary resource prove to be effective managers of their children's health care. (Contains 13 references.) (SM)