Poor children suffer from acute and chronic illnesses more frequently and with more serious cases of the diseases than do nonpoor children. Moreover. poor children under age 2. are twice as likely not to receive health care attention. than nonpoor children. A case that also warrants our close attention is that of the migrant and seasonal agricultural worker. These families are concentrated in the gulf area and southcentral Texas but travel and work in all 50 States. They are likely to be uninsured and at risk for disease because of unsanitary living and working conditions. And. because rural hospitals are in danger of closing for financial reasons. migrant health centers are the only alternative source of health care for most of these workers. Twenty eight percent of all women who use community and migrant health centers are of childbearing age. These centers provide. in most cases. the only prenatal care services available to these women. High infant mortality rates attest to the clear need for these services. The poor and the uninsured of the country are increasing dramatically. For many. community and migrant health centers are the only source of health care services. For a clear majority of health center users. the centers are a primary source of health care. Community and migrant health centers are important. They are conveniently located within communities and they are low cost. Treatment is focused to a great extent on disease prevention and health maintenance which decreases case loads for service providers and reduces the cost to State and Federal governments by decreasing the frequency of serious illness.