§ 464-a. Legislative findings. The legislature hereby finds,
determines, and declares that:

1. In rural areas there is a necessity to promote different approaches
to human services delivery if programs are to properly address diverse
community and individual needs and such unique rural conditions as low
population density; a large proportion of elderly persons; the absence
of economies of scale; geographic isolation; inadequate transportation;
fluctuating service demands; and general lack of suitable alternatives
for service delivery.

2. The human services delivery system in rural areas is often
fragmented, consisting of isolated providers with limited financial
resources and limited information-sharing networks. Many such providers
are currently providing identical or similar services to the same
clientele in the same area, often without being aware of a possible
duplication of effort.

3. A full range of coordinated and integrated human services is vital
to the health and well-being of residents of rural areas of the state
who are or may in the future be confronted with such intense social
problems as domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, migrant health
problems, nutritional deficiencies, suicide, hunger, unemployment, lack
of suitable shelter, crime, drug and alcohol abuse and poverty.

4. A proper response to intense social problems in some rural areas
would be to encourage greater sharing of information and resources among
human services providers in such rural areas, thereby enhancing the
cost-effectiveness and delivery of services required to address such
social problems. Such cooperative undertakings could be accomplished if
a program of financial incentives and state-level technical assistance
were made available to encourage providers in rural areas to embark upon
such cooperative arrangements and networking of the services they
provide.