Carencro Students Get Healthcare

About 600 students at Carencro Middle School this year will receive free basic health services at school. This is a result of a joint partnership between Opelousas General Hospital and the Lafayette Parish School System. The program is designed to give students a place to go for basic health and emotional needs before the problems escalate. According to the full story by Marsha Sills in The Advocate, Carencro Middle School serves many students living in poverty with about 80% of their student body qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Many of these students families also do not have transportation that would allow them to travel Lafayette for public health services. The only other school in the system currently offering school-based health centers is Northside High School, with their program being operated by Our Lady of Lourdes. They estimate they see about 5500 student visits a year.

Photo by Aria Fotografia