KIDS ’ CHANCE OF AMERICA
EDUCATING CHILDREN OF INJURED WORKERS
IT WAS a construction accident that turned life upside down for Tyler Stull and his family . Tyler ’ s father was so badly hurt , he was never able to return to work . Shortly afterward , his parents divorced . As the start of college came closer , tuition loomed as a daunting expense .
Stories like these were a call to action for workers ’ compensation insurance professionals countrywide . The first Kids ’ Chance of America chapters took hold in 2007 , and today , they ’ re in 39 states and counting .
Each chapter is dedicated to sponsoring scholarships for children whose parent suffered a severe workplace injury or who died in an accident at work . To date , the chapters have collectively awarded more than 6,500 scholarships totaling over $ 20 million .
Each state chapter operates independently with support from the national platform , which counts the National Council on Compensation Insurance ( NCCI ) among its partners . Each group is a unique coalition of people in the workers ’ compensation arena — plaintiff and defense attorneys as well as leaders from various carriers , medical providers , and the judiciary — all united in a common cause .
Consider the need , both potential and real . Kids ’ Chance cites DOL statistics from 2012 when 4,383 fatal occupational injuries occurred in the US . While there are no records of the children affected , Kids ’ Chance founders believe the need is far greater than we know .
Sarah James , a scholarship recipient who lost her father eight years ago in a workplace accident , attended the 2018 Kids ’ Chance Annual Meeting . “ I ’ m grateful and blessed with everyone at Kids ’ Chance ,” she said . “ I hope I ’ m making them proud as well .” Grass Roots Success State chapters are responsible for their own fund-raising and evaluating each scholarship application . These organizations and their volunteers are critical to outreach efforts and become the “ face ” of Kids ’ Chance locally .
Until last year , New Hampshire didn ’ t have a chapter . That all changed thanks to some area executives , including Dan Landers , A . I . M . Mutual ’ s Director of Field Operations , who worked with
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