Life’s Silver Linings, Inc.

Chapter 7, Part I: “Together We Can” Socialize “Caring Communities”

“In 1989, the agency directors of the [Missouri] Departments of Health, Mental Health, Social Services and the Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education decided to work together to implement a system of school-linked integrated services that became known as Caring Communities.”[1] Together We Can is a federal document that guides states and local communities in crafting the federal Caring Communities program of education and human services at the state and local levels.

he slogan, “It takes a village to raise a child,” may be understood at least two ways. You may have heard it used by those employed by school districts and social services. These are good people who use it within the context that it is important for everyone to work together in the best interest of everyone’s child(ren). It used to be that if a neighbor caught a child doing something wrong the neighbor would correct the child. When the child returned home, he/she would be corrected again, and the parents would be thanking each other.

Government documents from which this book quotes, verifies that there is a second way in which this slogan may be understood. “The village” includes government agencies working through interdisciplinary teams and community partnerships of churches, schools, hospitals, community businesses, etc.

Those who sincerely don’t “see” the danger this presents to a representative form of government and a free enterprise system, minimize the genuine concern and credibility of those who do, by accusing them of believing in some kind of a conspiracy or seeing “commies” around every corner.

The “Caring Communities” program is implement from the top down, as with any of the other reform initiatives. “Caring Communities: Supporting Young Children and Families,” is a December, 1991, Report of the National Task Force on School Readiness, sponsored by the National Association of State Boards of Education. “As former Chair of the National Governors’ Association (NGA) and the Education Commission of the States, Bill Clinton provided national leadership on education reform and welfare initiatives. In 1989, (then) Governor Clinton was co-chair of NGA’s Task Force on Education and played a major role in the President’s (Bush) Education Summit in Charlottesville, Virginia, and in drafting the national education goals that were announced by President (Bush) in his 1990 State of the Union Address.”[2] The goal of the Caring Communities program is to create collaboration between government (public) and private sectors. This includes the “melding” of policies, programs, and comprehensive services “for children” at all levels of government.

An example of such collaboration is the March of Dime’s Community Report Card Conference. (Be sure to read about the March of Dime’s affiliation with the National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting in the chapter titled “Are You ‘Nuts’ if You Think It’s About Population Control?.”) The Community Report Card Conference’s steering committee consisted of: Judith Widdicombe author of Missouri’s health care reform law and foundress of the state’s largest abortion clinic, a well-known local children’s hospital, a representative from a Catholic hospital, a Catholic nun with the Catholic Community Services who promotes parish nurses, the Chief of Neonatology of another well- known children’s hospital who started the STATS AIDS program (see the chapter titled “AIDS Program Sends Wrong Message”) a doctor with St. Louis Regional Hospital (which provides abortion referrals), a Catholic nun with the Rural Community Nurse, and a representative of the City’s Division of Health. The conference included “facilitated roundtable discussions of: treatment and transition options for childbearing and parenting women, prevention strategies targeting women of childbearing age, sexual decision-making and consequences of sexual behavior choices, adolescent health and sexuality, sexually-transmitted diseases sexual abuse, HIV/AIDS, wellness, factors which influence the health of childbearing families, mental health, preconception health,” and more.

Those returning from the United Nation’s Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China, during September of 1995, speak of hearing the slogan, “It takes a village to raise a child.” This slogan was used by representatives of government and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) supporting population control. Non-governmental organizations are private companies or organizations specifically recognized and consulted by the United Nations such as “the International Red Cross, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and Planned Parenthood–NGO status can be permanent or temporary–. The word ‘mother’ had been bracketed throughout the entire platform so that it might be changed to the term ‘caretaker.’ Similarly, the word ‘family’ has been bracketed for change to ‘household.’ Bracketed sections indicate that delegates could not agree in advance on the text. In addition, the word ‘family’ almost always appears in a negative context, i.e., in relation to domestic violence or female oppression–the UN rejected the suggestion that there are two genders: ‘male’ and ‘female.’ The UN also rejected the definition of ‘gender’ as ‘the socially-constructed roles which society assigns to men and women.’”[3]

Together We Can is a federal document created jointly by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services that explains how to implement the Caring Communities Program. The Caring Communities program creates collaboratives and partnerships between the government, local churches, schools, hospitals, businesses, community organizations, and advisory councils which the Caring Communities program requires. Advisory councils are used at all levels whether by the school district, local community, state or federal government. Grants, such as the Excellence in Education grant and The Drug-Free Schools and Communities grant require school districts to have an advisory council in order to be eligible for the grants.

Together We Can explains the importance of bringing together the “right people [politically correct?], a diverse group with clout and commitment. The group MAKES A COMMITMENT TO COLLABORATE by agreeing on a unifying theme, establishing shared leadership, setting ground rules, and securing financial resources for the collaborative’s planning efforts. During each stage [phase], partners REFLECT on what has happened and CELEBRATE success.”[4]

Local hospitals collaborate with a coalition of local school districts, and community health and social service providers. Agreements “allow computer linkups with schools, social services, and criminal justice systems to track school progress, referrals, and criminal activity.”[5] “Additional data can be collected from kids, families, parents, agencies, professionals, law enforcement, criminal justice, government, churches, etc.”[6]

One such community service coalition comprised of five school districts, government services and various community programs created a handout for school children on drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Throughout the handout was the slogan “It takes a village to raise a child.” The sources which this innocent little handout listed as being used in its creation included: “Together We Can, CHEF Comprehensive Health, Healthy Communities, and Healthy Youth by Search Institute.”[7] Notably missing are community pro family organizations. CHEF is the Comprehensive Health Education Foundation based in Seattle, Washington. CHEF produces a catalog and materials such as “Here’s Looking at You, 2000” and “Together We Can Community Kit” along with posters, puppets, games, books, audio tapes, a magazine, videos, and program kits. Topics include drugs, homosexuality and AIDS (including quotes such as “It’s the male’s responsibility to protect–.” and the myth that “Latex condoms are 100% effective–.”) peer helping, and comprehensive health.

What a difference it would make if only those in the “village” who are collaborating and partnering to raise our children for us would use resources that do not contribute to the destruction of the American family. Alternative resources include Project Respect, the Medical Institute for Sexual Health (MISH) based in Austin, Texas and community organizations such as the Crisis Pregnancy Center, Birthright, Life’s Silver Linings, and many others.

[1] “Creating Caring Communities-Background,” Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

[2] “Caring Communities: Supporting Young Children and Families,” National Association of State Boards of Education; 1012 Cameron St.; Alexandria, VA 22314; (800) 220-5183; $12 includes postage; p.55.

[3] “UN: Bound for Beijing,” Washington Watch Special Report, Aug. 24, 1995, Family Research Council.

[4] Together We Can, ISBN 0-16-041721-X, U.S. Departments of Education and Health & Human Services; U.S. Government Printing Office; Superintendent of Documents; Mail Stop: SSOP; Washington, D.C. 20402-9328; p. 23.

[5] Together We Can , (ISBN 0-16-041721-X), U.S. Departments of Education and HHS; U.S. Government Printing Office; Superintendent of Documents, p. 75.

[6] “Community Assessment: What To Measure” Healthy Communities 2000, Jul. 27, 1994, St. Joseph Health Center, p. 3.

[7] “Let’s Make an Effort-Let’s Make the Commitment,” North County Service Coalition.