Oregon Governor Kate Brown has made universal home visitsone of her priorities in her proposed budget. She has earmarked $4 million for the program, and Oregon Health AuthorityDirector Patrick Allen said that the program is not just for parents who are introuble.
“This isn’t something for people in trouble. This isstuff all kids need. Stuff my kids needed,” Allen told the Beaverton Valley Times.
The $4 million is a beginning investment into a six-yearprogram to create a universal home visit program.
“When the program is complete, every new parent — thisincludes adoptions — would receive a series of two or three visits by someonelike a nurse or other health care practitioner. The visits could include basichealth screenings for babies; hooking parents up with primary care physicians;linking them to other services; and coordinating the myriad childhoodimmunizations that babies need,” Dana Haynes with the Beaverton Valley Times reports.
Accompanying this budget line item is a study bill, SB 526, introduced in the Oregon Legislature whose chief sponsors are StateSenator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (D-Portland), State Senator Bill Hansell(R-Athena), State Representative Sheri Schouten (D-Beaverton), and StateRepresentative Duane Stark (R-Grants Pass).
The bill directs the Oregon Health Authority to study homevisiting by licensed health practitioners. “The authority shall submitfindings and recommendations for legislation to an interim committee of theLegislative Assembly related to health care not later than December 31,2019,” the legislation reads.
The bill declares an emergency which requires the actionthis year should the bill pass. “This 2019 Act being necessary for theimmediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declaredto exist, and this 2019 Act takes effect on its passage,” the bill states.
How this constitutes an emergency is anyone’s guess. Sincethis bill directs the Oregon Health Authority to study the issue, thelegislation is vague. It is unclear whether or not these home visits will bemandatory.
So what Oregon residents need to ask is whether GovernorBrown intends to make home visits of new parents universal by providing theopportunity for all new parents to receive a home visit at their request.
Or will it be universal by mandating new parents receive ahome visit?
The answer to these questions will be the difference between a useful resource or government intervening in all new families in Oregon.
Photo credit: Oregon Department of Transportation via Flickr, CC BY 2.0
