President Barack Obama signed a bill Wednesday extending health care coverage to four million more American children, including thousands of uninsured kids on Long Island.

The bill gives an additional $3 billion to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The program already covers seven million children and was set to expire next month. Obama?s signature renews the program.

Hempstead mother Yolanda Murray says she relies on the SCHIP program to take care of her three children.

"It's very important to a lot of single mothers, because we can't always afford the co-pays,? Murray says.

Gwen O?Shea, of the Long Island Health and Welfare Council, says even with the extended program, there are still 65,000 uninsured children on Long Island who are eligible. However, she lauds its passage.

?Had the program expired, we would've seen millions of children across New York State lose their health insurance,? O?Shea says. ?On Long Island, that would've meant thousands of kids would've [gone] without health coverage."

President George W. Bush vetoed the bill when it came up for renewal in 2007. It was set to run out on March 31.

AP wire reports contributed to this article.