It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to maintain, to the extent resources are available, a permanent statewide community-based comprehensive perinatal system to provide care and services to low-income pregnant women and their infants who are considered underserved in terms of comprehensive perinatal care.
It is also the intent of the Legislature that the statewide, community-based, comprehensive perinatal health care program be developed by the department to conform with the guidelines set forth in this article, and be integrated and coordinated with the perinatal access program in Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 288).
It is further the intent of the Legislature that these guidelines allow each applicant the flexibility to design a system specific to the nature of the community and the needs of the clients.
It is further the intent of the Legislature that the director, in allocating funds available for programs that provide comprehensive perinatal care, follow the guidelines and principles developed in this article.
(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 1996.)