U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is urging Congress to immediately extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Known as Healthy Start in Ohio, the program is set to run out of funding by year’s end. The state is making contingency plans if Congress doesn’t act.

There are 9,973 children in the Mahoning Valley covered under the program: 3,701 in Mahoning County, 3,976 in Trumbull County, and 2,296 in Columbiana County, according to statistics provided by Brown’s office.