As the former chairman and CEO of Hasbro Toys, the family-run business my grandfather founded in 1923, I have spent my career bettering the lives of children. I have always loved — and lived by — the words of Danny Kaye: “The greatest natural resource that any country can have is its children.”

 But right now, we are not treating children as our greatest natural resource. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), one of the most remarkable success stories we have, has been left dangling for nearly three months since it expired on Sept. 30. CHIP provides critical health care to nearly 9 million low-income children and peace of mind to their parents. It is, very simply, a no-brainer. Children who receive high quality and necessary health care grow up to be stronger, smarter and more productive adults.

 Despite multiple opportunities and pleas from parents, children, advocates, governors, corporate leaders and more, and despite the strong bipartisan support this program has had since it began, Congress has not yet done its job and renewed funding for the CHIP program. The well-being of millions of children is increasingly at stake. Every day there are more calls — and more pleas — for Congress to act.

 A bipartisan group of governors, led by John Hickenlooper of Colorado and John Kasich of Ohio, sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to fund CHIP and give families “peace of mind,” knowing their children will have health care in the new year.

 Governors need Congress to fund CHIP now, because they can’t run their programs on a promise. States from Colorado to Virginia are sending out notices to families that CHIP may not be there for them after the holidays. There are more states by the day. Parents are in the news expressing stark concerns about what will happen to their children without CHIP. We are talking life and death. Is anyone listening?

 How could members of Congress even think about going home for the holidays without taking care of these children? Will they have the sleepless nights that these parents are having? Will they be thinking of what they can’t afford if they lose their children’s health care? Perhaps the rent, a car repair, or a badly needed new furnace — or their children’s Christmas gifts?

 There simply is no excuse for any further delay in funding this critical program that works. CHIP should be funded with a full five-year renewal.

 I am no politician, but I know a success story when I see one, and CHIP is an American success story. For 20 years, it has worked for children and families across the country. Congress has spent enormous time working on a massive tax bill, instead of health care for children.

 Thank you for my tax rate going from 39.6 to 37 percent, but I would give it up to take care of our greatest national resource and future — our children.

 The holidays are, above all else, about children. I cannot remain silent without doing everything in my power to sound the alarm and tell Congress it must fund CHIP now. I call on friends, colleagues, associates and all who care about our children to raise their voices on this issue.

 We can be thankful in Rhode Island for the strong leadership of our U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and U.S. Representatives David Cicilline and Jim Langevin, all Democrats. They are all firmly in support of a full five-year extension of CHIP and working hard to make it happen.

 I call on other members of Congress to fund CHIP now.

 Alan G. Hassenfeld is a former chairman and chief executive officer of Hasbro Toys.