Home Visitations

I am still very concerned about section 440 of the Health Care Reform Act before congress. All of this section is supposed to be voluntary, but it concerns me that the goal is to have all families that are expecting children or that have young children in these programs. From page 838. . .

the gaps in home visitation in the
17 State, including identification of communities
18 that are in high need of the services;

This is talking about States that want to get grant money from the federal government. Call me extreme, but of course there should be gaps. Should the government be trying to coach any new or expectant parents, let alone all of them? Communities. . . hmm. . . that could be poor communities or black communities or homeschool communities. Either way, do we really want certain "communities" being highly encouraged (I would probably feel pressured) to have these home visits? "High need of services". . . I assume that this means that this means something benign like past history of abuse or something, but could it eventually become (or already be intended) any group that doesn't parent as the state sees fit? Like "fundamentalist Christians" who condone swats or families that have "overly strict" dress standards for their kids.

in supporting home visitation pro11
grams using funds provided under this section,
12 the State will promote coordination and collabo13
ration with other home visitation programs (in14
cluding programs funded under title XIX) and
15 with other child and family services, health
16 services, income supports, and other related as17
sistance;
18

This section is talking about what is required of the State once it receives the funds. Again, call me an extremist if you must, but here I see the State including home visit recommendations as part of your regular doctor visits ("health services"). That would mean that if everyone is in the health services system, every new parent "should" be visited by the state. That just makes my skin crawl.

in supporting home visitation pro11
grams using funds provided under this section,
12 the State will promote coordination and collabo13
ration with other home visitation programs (in14
cluding programs funded under title XIX) and
15 with other child and family services, health
16 services, income supports, and other related as17
sistance;
18

And as if the government won't have enough fingers in your life, they want to use these visitations as ways to refer you to yet further government services and programs.

God has given parents the responsibility to raise children, not the State. If parents need help, it is the place of family and church and community to help them, not the State.

The government has it's place and this is not it.