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Though
less than half of the country’s public schools support
a full-time nurse or offer health care services on site, a recent survey
shows that most parents want to see health care services provided in
schools.
In fact, more than eight in 10 parents support the provision of health
care services in schools, according to a national survey released today.
The support cuts across political and demographic groups.
Findings from the national survey include:
•
96 percent of parents say it is important for schools to provide alcohol
and drug abuse prevention and education;
•
90 percent of parents think it is important for schools to provide
care to children with chronic illnesses like asthma and diabetes;
•
86 percent of parents think it is important to provide mental health
counseling from qualified professionals in school;
•
85 percent say they would support programs in schools to help fight
childhood obesity; and
•
82 percent believe it is important for schools to provide basic care
for children whose parents cannot afford health care.
The survey found broad support for health care in schools across political
and demographic groups, including large majorities of Democratic and
Republican parents, African-American, Hispanic and white parents, and
low-income and more affluent parents, according to the Center for Health
and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS).
According to the survey, most parents believe that schools can provide
a broad range of health care services — from basic and emergency
medical care to substance abuse prevention, nutrition education, and
mental health counseling. A majority of parents believe these services
should be provided to all children, regardless of insurance coverage.
However, most parents believe that schools are an important venue for
health care for uninsured children.
“
State and local budgets are under pressure and being cut across the
country, but government officials need to know that health care in
schools is vitally important,” said Judith Stavisky, senior program
officer of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the poll. “Many
parents look to their schools — or would like to look to their
schools — to not only educate their children, but also to help
keep them healthy, safe and ready to learn.”
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