By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – 
The first of the Medicaid cuts Missouri lawmakers made this spring will go into effect Friday.
About 24,000 low-income parents will lose their coverage immediately. Another 44,000 will be cut off the program in a year.
The governor and many legislators are adamant that children will not be affected. But as KWMU's Maria Hickey reports, many social service providers and medical professionals say kids will feel the cuts.