Although students must have written parental permission to be treated at Portland's school-based health centers, state law allows them to seek confidential health care and to decide whether to inform their parents about the services they receive, Belanger said.
Just another nauseating step in the Meducation of America. Parents? You don't need to tell your parents.
As I understand it they have to have parental permision to get treated/seen/access the services at all but if they get permission then they can have WHAT services they access be confidential. I personaly dont see it as a bad thing (symptom of a bad thing yes but not bad in its self) since the parents can choose to NOT give permission for the kids to have access to it there and can take their kids to Drs themselves where they can know whats going on. Parents can tell/teach their kids they dont want them useing the birth controle pills/contraceptives offered (just the same as they can on sex). The main thing where it effects is that the parents who want someone else to deal with their kids can give permission for the kids to have access for the clynic there and they get access to all of it. These are often going to be the same parents who dont care what their kids do anyway. Kids who are going to have sex at that age (and a lot more than most folks want to admit do) are not going to abstain because they dont have condoms or the pill, they will just get diseased, spread desease and or die or get pregnant, but they will still have sex. If they have acess to condoms and the pill then the ones who would abstain otherwise still will and those who are going to have sex might use them and save the tax payers from raising their kids and may not die young for bad adolescent decisions. Just to yourself, without needing to respond, think about when you started being sexualy active. Would you have started sooner just because you had access to condoms or the pill? Did you wait because you didnt have access to that stuff? Did you start when either you had the opprotunity or when it was the right person? If so and if you used condoms and or the pill, would it have stopped you if you didnt have them and all else was the same?
At this time of my life, I don't give a rip one way or another. They have 5 to 7 years to get sorted out before they experience wrath from my son when my g-daughter gets to that age. Given his temper, I may have to, and willingly will, take up the cudgels when he gets forcibly sidelined. That whole thing is beginning to get too close to home (and under my skin.)
MM, I disagree with you on this one. I have a real problem with "parents" who don't do any parenting. If I am to be held liable for the minor child in my home, then I need to know what medications they are on. If the schools are allowing medication dispersement without parental permissions, then are they accepting the liabilities as well? If your kid is at my house and so much as scratches his knee; I'm going to let you know so that you can ensure it doesn't get infected later. I won't give a kid a Tylenol without calling first. It's common courtesy. It's what parents should do for each other. It's what responsible adults should do for children. IMO: The schools are no place for health care. They're having enough problems attempting to teach the basics.
I can see your point but also from my understanding of how its run its so that any parent who feels the same can simply NOT give permission for their kids to have access to the facility, its just that if they DO give permission for their kids to use the facility THEN the kids dont have to tell their parents how they used that access. So the parents who are interested in knowing whats going on with their kids and being involved can choose not to grant permission then if the kid needs any kind of treatment they can take the kid to a Dr where they have full knowledge of whats going on, or like I mentioned if they are secure that their kids listen to them (such as on sex) then they can teach their kids not to use that aspect of the offered services. The parents who dont want to be 'bothered' when the kids need treatment (be it those mentioned or a Tylonol for a headache or whatever) can give permission then their kids who are most likely makeing most of their own decisions anyway if their parents cant be 'bothered' or are confident enouph in their kids judgment to have given permission for them to be seen there, will have the ability to make the decision that IF they are already going to be sexualy active to do so more responsibly.
They are just laying the ground works for a more socialized country. Get young kids use to so called FREE health care then when they become adults they will demand it and give up what ever they need to, to get it. OGM