The California Women's and Children's Health Coalition is a statewide coalition working to ensure access to quality health care for women and their children. School-based health clinics, founded in the 1970s, now number approximately 900 nationwide. Although a primary objective for the founding of school-based health clinics was to address adolescent pregnancy, the clinics now provide a range of health services.
Students use school-based health clinics most often for primary health care and mental health care.
The clinics are frequently a partnership effort between schools and local health care institutions. Los Angeles Times , March 15, 1995. School-based health clinics substantially increase the proportion of students who gain access to primary health care. Brindis and Sanghi, supra . Thus, as this brief overview indicates, school-based health clinics meet a compelling need for children and adolescents who frequently lack access to basic medical services.