CWA Prayer/Action Alert

The Draft Plan Recommendations and Strategies for Building a Comprehensive Children’s Mental Health System in Illinois is on its way to the Governor’s desk for final approval. It's not too late to contact Governor Blagojevich to ask him not to approve this intrusive and costly plan to screen all Illinois children, ages 0 through 18 and beyond, as well as pregnant women, for their mental health.

As a former School Psychologist and teacher, I can say confidently that this is a complete waste of the tax payers' money. Why isn't this money being used instead for the basic educational needs that students have such as remedial reading or math programs where the funding has been drastically cut? Why isn't it being used for crisis pregnancy programs for pregnant women or for abstinence education? If the Governor is so concerned about mental health, why did he close down the only residential facility in central IL for those who actually do have serious mental health problems, shipping them off to other parts of the state, leaving others like them homeless, and hundreds of citizens jobless?

The plan can be viewed at www.ivpa.org , and Concerned Women for America of Illinois’ response during public comment time is posted on our website at http://states.cwfa.org/images/content/CMHP_Comments.pdf in addition to our comments at the 2004 public forum http://states.cwfa.org/images/content/Karen%20Hayes%20statement.pdf

CWA of Illinois favors complete repeal of the 2003 Children’s Mental Health Act that set this sanity screening plan in motion. Of special and immediate alarm, however, are the vague references to parental consent included in this plan. While we are thankful that our ongoing efforts to have a parental consent requirement appear to have been instrumental in adding these references, sadly, they are inadequate and can give Illinois parents a sense of false security.

CWA of Illinois believes active, written, informed parental consent is non-negotiable when state bureaucrats devise plans to screen the mental health of our children. The dangers of this plan far outweigh any bureaucratic inconvenience that this assurance may result in. Parents hold the authority to direct the health, education and welfare of their children because, above all others, they know and care about their children. They must not be denied making this important decision.

For example, Christian parents would believe that the mental health of their children has a biblical or spiritual dimension. State government cannot possibly be equipped to address those issues, and it is inappropriate for them to try. Furthermore, the homosexual issue is also a component of this plan. Will children be directed to get help to overcome their perceived homosexual tendencies/behaviors or will children be indoctrinated further into this destructive lifestyle? And what about the children who have been taught the Biblical position on homosexuality? Will they be coerced into seeing things the state's way? Strong connections between the groups driving this Plan and homosexual groups have been discovered. Stay tuned for more on this issue!

Pray and call Governor Blagojevich 's Deputy Chief of Social Services, Louanner Peters at 217-782-6830 and email the Governor at governor@state.il.us . An outpouring of both prayer and calls are needed to help parents protect our children. Please make this a priority prior to June 30th. Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization.Concerned Women for America of Illinois P.O. Box 188 Palos Heights, IL 60463 Phone: (708) 371-7810 Fax (708) 371-7896 email: director@illinois.cwfa.org website: http://illinois.cwfa.org/
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