GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	2 

SENATE BILL 12*
Second Edition Engrossed 2/25/93

Short Title:  Strengthening Family Resources.	(Public)
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Senators Martin of Guilford, Conder; Perdue, Hunt, Daniel, Sands, Richardson, Jordan, Tally, Winner of Mecklenburg, Edwards, and Seymour.
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Education/Higher Education.

─────────────────────────────────────── 

January 28, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A GRANT PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN FAMILY RESOURCES AND APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  A new Part is added to Article 3 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes to read:
"Part 4B.
"Family Resources Grant Program.
"§ 143B-151.  Purpose.
It is the intent of the General Assembly to encourage and support broad-based collaboration among governmental and nongovernmental agencies and persons reflective of the racial and socioeconomic diversity in local communities in order to develop initiatives designed to (i)	prepare children to learn effectively and to have a successful school experience, (ii) enhance the ability of families to become advocates for and supporters of education for the children in their families, and (iii) enhance the ability of families to function as nurturing and effective family units.
"§ 143B-151.1  Family Resources Grant Program; creation; administration; family resource center grants; innovation grants.
(a)	There is created in the Department of Human Resources a Family Resources Grant Program.  The program shall be administered by the Secretary of Human Resources, upon the advice of the Interagency Task Force on Family Resources, created in G.S. 143B-151.2.
(b)	Beginning with the 1994-95 fiscal year, the program shall provide family resource center grants for individual public schools or consortia of public schools to establish family resource centers in or near the schools.  A school or consortia of schools may apply for a grant if at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the students enrolled at the school or at the consortia of schools are eligible for free meals.  The purpose of the family resource centers is to provide services to children from prekindergarten through the sixth grade and their families that are designed to enhance the children's ability to attain academic and social success.
(c)	Beginning with the 1993-94 fiscal year, the program shall provide innovation grants to consortia of governmental and nongovernmental agencies and other persons.  The composition of the consortia shall generally reflect the racial and socioeconomic diversity in their local communities.  The purpose of these grants is to initiate or further develop innovative models for the effective, comprehensive, and collaborative delivery of services to children at risk of not attaining academic and social success and their families.
(d)	Applications for these grants, whether for family resource centers under subsection (b) of this section or innovative models under subsection (c) of this section, shall be developed on the basis of currently available resources, and on the basis of additional resources that can be utilized to enhance the effectiveness of currently available resources.
"§ 143B-151.2.  Creation of the Interagency Task Force on Family Resources.
(a)	There is created the Interagency Task Force on Family Resources.  The Task Force shall be located administratively within the Department of Human Resources but shall exercise its statutory powers and duties independently of the Department.
(b)	The Task Force shall consist of the following 23 members and shall be generally reflective of the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the State's population:
(1)	Seven members to be appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall represent each of the following:
a.	The Governor's Office;
b.	The Division of Social Services, Department of Human Resources;
c.	The Health Division, Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources;
d.	The Employment Security Commission;
e.	A parent who reflects the population of children and families eligible to receive services under this Part;
f.	The juvenile justice system;
g.	The Department of Community Colleges;
(2)	Seven members to be appointed by the General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall represent each of the following:
a.	A university department of sociology or social work;
b.	A parent who reflects the population of children and families eligible to receive services under this Part;
c.	Local school administrators;
d.	Local public health departments;
e.	Local departments of social services;
f.	The business community;
g.	A nongovernmental agency involved in the delivery of services to children and their families;
(3)	Seven members to be appointed by the General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall represent each of the following:
a.	A university school of education;
b.	A parent who reflects the population of children and families eligible to receive services under this Part;
c.	Public school teachers;
d.	Local boards of education;
e.	Local community mental health - developmental disabilities programs;
f.	The business community;
g.	A nongovernmental agency involved in the delivery of services to children and their families;
(4)	The Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Superintendent's designee; and
(5)	The Secretary of Human Resources or the Secretary's designee.
(c)	Initial appointments shall be made no later than September 1, 1993.  Appointments by the General Assembly shall be made in accordance with G.S. 120-121, and vacancies in those appointments shall be filled in accordance with G.S. 120-122.  The Governor shall fill any vacancies in his appointments.  A member shall serve at the pleasure of the member's appointing authority.
(d)	The Governor shall appoint the chair and vice-chair from the membership of the Task Force; the chair or the vice-chair shall be the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Superintendent's designee.  The chair shall call the first meeting of the Task Force.
(e)	Task Force members shall receive per diem, travel and subsistence allowances in accordance with G.S. 138-5 and G.S. 138-6, as appropriate.
(f)	A majority of the Task Force shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(g)	All clerical and other services required by the Task Force shall be supplied by the Secretary of Human Resources.
"§ 143B-151.3.  Powers and duties of the Task Force; powers and duties of agencies represented on Task Force.
(a)	For purposes of developing and supporting initiatives under this Part, the Interagency Task Force on Family Resources shall:
(1)	Advise the Secretary of Human Resources on the development of a family resource center grant application package and an innovation grant application package.
(2)	Develop guidelines for the competitive awarding of grants and advise the Secretary of Human Resources on scoring procedures for grant applications.  The guidelines for the awarding of family resource center grants under G.S. 143B-151.1(b) shall be based primarily on the need of a school, consortia of schools, or local community, along with the likelihood of success and the achievement of positive outcomes.  Awarding of innovation grants shall not necessarily be subject to the requirements contained in G.S. 143B-151.1(b) with regard to eligibility for free lunch; however, all innovation grants shall be targeted to meet the needs of children and families projected to be at risk.  The guidelines for the awarding of innovation grants under G.S. 143B-151.1(c) may be based on the need of a local community, but primarily shall be based on the likelihood of the proposed model's success, the creative design of the proposed model, and the potential for subsequent replication of the model in other communities.
(3)	Develop a process for, and the content of, training and education for personnel who will be assisting in the preparation of grants.
(4)	Review scored grant applications and make recommendations on grant recipients to the Secretary of Human Resources.
(5)	Develop recommendations with regard to statutes, policies, and rules so as to improve the effectiveness and timeliness of service delivery through individual agencies and through collaboration among agencies.
(6)	Collect, analyze, evaluate, and disseminate information on initiatives within and outside North Carolina that are successful or promising in addressing issues that constitute the focus of this Part.
(7)	Report at least annually to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the chairs of the appropriations committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the chairs of the Legislative Research Commission's Committee on Students at Risk or any successor legislative study committees.
(b)	For purposes of developing and supporting family resource centers under this Part, the Interagency Task Force on Family Resources shall:
(1)	Formulate before January 1, 1994, a five-year plan for implementing a network of family resource centers across the State.  The plan shall promote identification and coordination of existing resources.  The plan shall include strategies for implementing the activities for which grant applicants are required to provide a work plan in accordance with G.S. 143B-151.4(1)k.
(2)	Develop a process for, and the content of, training and education for personnel who will be operating the family resource centers, or assisting grant recipients in operating the centers.
(3)	Develop model procedures that family resource centers can follow for sharing confidential information with other service providers.
(4)	Evaluate the effectiveness of the family resource centers' activities.
(5)	Compile and analyze data and other information needed to implement the family resource grant program and to operate the centers, and identify additional data and information that are needed.
(6)	Work with the Legislative Research Commission's Committee on Students at Risk or any successor legislative study committees in developing a timetable and plan for fully implementing a statewide plan predicated on the philosophy of the family resource centers.
(7)	Formulate a plan for serving the needs of children in grades seven and above and their families, after the family resource center grant program is substantially developed.
(8)	Formulate a plan, with a timetable for beginning implementation no later than January 1, 2000, for expanding family resource centers to all schools within the State where justifiable need is evident, regardless of whether twenty-five percent (25%) of the students at that school are eligible for free meals.
(c)	For the purpose of developing innovative initiatives for the effective, comprehensive, and collaborative delivery of services to children and their families, agencies represented on the Task Force that have corresponding agencies at the county level shall:
(1)	Determine the counties in which there are personnel who are committed to the philosophy underlying G.S. 143B-151.
(2)	Engage county-level personnel in developing the most effective comprehensive, collaborative models possible for the delivery of services to children and their families that will better enable children to achieve academic and social success.
(3)	Develop a plan to establish goals and anticipated outcomes for initiatives, and a system to measure their success.
(4)	Establish professional development opportunities for personnel within the agencies that are based on new information that results from the initiatives.
(d)	In carrying out its responsibilities under this section, the Task Force may enter into any consultative and contractual arrangements as are necessary.
"§ 143B-151.4.  Powers and duties of the Secretary of Human Resources.
The Secretary shall:
(1)	Develop, upon the advice of the Interagency Task Force on Family Resources, a family resource center grant application package and provide it to each local school administrative unit in which there are qualifying schools.  The package shall include grant proposal instructions and grant-scoring procedures.  Grant applications may be submitted by the local school administrative unit or by a consortia of agencies.  The following information shall be provided as a part of each grant application:
a.	A statement of the school's or consortium's need for a family resource center.
b.	Proposed goals and anticipated outcomes for a center.
c.	A list of all services that will be provided at the center and a description of how they will be provided.
d.	A plan for serving children and their families with the most urgent needs first.
e.	Documentation of the approval of each school's building-level committee convened under G.S. 115C-238.3(b1), and a copy of each school's building-level plan, which shall reflect the need for the center and the proposed goals and anticipated outcomes for the center.
f.	Evidence of agreement and support from all other service providers.
g.	A description of the development, composition, and role of a local advisory council.  This council shall generally reflect the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the community's population, and shall generally reflect, but shall not be limited to, the composition of the Interagency Task Force.
h.	Strategies to disseminate information.
i.	A training plan.
j.	A plan to minimize stigma.
k.	A work plan for identifying and coordinating existing resources so as to implement to the extent feasible (i) full-time preschool child care for children two and three years old, (ii) after-school child care when school is in session and full-time when it is not for children four through twelve years old, (iii) an integrated approach to home visits, group meetings, and the monitoring of child development for new and expectant parents, (iv) training in developmentally appropriate parenting skills for parents, (v) support and training for child day care providers, (vi) health services, referral to health services, or both, and (vii) other services designed to satisfy unique community needs.
l.	Job descriptions for staff.
m.	Plans to contract for the services of consultants or other professionals to provide services or operate the center.
n.	A description of the center's location and its accessibility to the school and to the children and families to be served.
o.	The hours of operation of the center.
p.	A proposed budget that includes the use of grant funds and funds from other sources.
q.	A program evaluation plan.
r.	Letters of endorsement and commitment to the center from community agencies and organizations.
(2)	Develop, upon the advice of the Interagency Task Force on Family Resources, an innovation grant application package and provide it to each county.  The package shall include grant proposal instructions, grant-scoring procedures, and a grant application form that requires the following information:
a.	A statement of the need for the innovation grant.
b.	A list of all services that will be provided and a description of how and where they will be provided.
c.	Proposed goals and outcomes for the innovative system.
d.	Evidence of agreement and support from all service providers.
e.	Documentation of broad-based collaboration among governmental agencies, nongovernmental agencies, and other persons.
f.	A plan for serving children and their families with the most urgent needs first.
g.	A description of the development, composition, and role of a local advisory council.  This council shall generally reflect the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the community's population, and shall generally reflect, but shall not be limited to, the composition of the Interagency Task Force.
h.	Strategies to disseminate information as to the availability of grants.
i.	A proposed budget that includes the use of grant funds and funds from other sources.
j.	A program evaluation plan.
k.	A plan to obtain additional funds and resources from non-governmental sources.
l.	Any additional information the Secretary considers necessary.
(3)	Designate and train a person in each county to assist in the preparation of grant applications.
(4)	Adopt, upon the advice of the Task Force, scoring procedures for the grant applications.
(5)	Select and train reviewers to score the grant applications.
(6)	Submit the scored grant applications to the Task Force for its recommendations.
(7)	Select grant recipients, after consideration of the recommendations of the Task Force.
(8)	Provide technical assistance to the family resource centers.
(9)	Evaluate the activities of the family resource centers.
(10)	Provide assistance to grant recipients to enable them to pursue additional sources of funding and other resources.
"§ 143B-151.5.  Plans for effective utilization of fiscal resources.
(a)	Each governmental agency that is represented on the Interagency Task Force on Family Resources shall develop a plan for effective utilization of all fiscal resources, including federal funds, and other resources under the agency's control in a manner that best supports the goals of this Part.
(b)	Each governmental agency that is represented on the Task Force is encouraged to establish any commissions the agency considers necessary to develop the plans required under subsection (a) of this section.
(c)	Each governmental agency that is represented on the Task Force shall present its plan and report on the progress in developing and implementing its plan at least biannually to the Task Force."
Sec. 2.  G.S. 115C-21(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Administrative Duties. – It shall be the duty of the Superintendent of Public Instruction:
(1)	To organize and establish a Department of Public Instruction which shall include such divisions and departments as are necessary for supervision and administration of the public school system, to administer the funds for the operation of the Department of Public Instruction, and to enter into contracts for the operations of the Department of Public Instruction.
(2)	To keep the public informed as to the problems and needs of the public schools by constant contact with all school administrators and teachers, by his personal appearance at public gatherings, and by information furnished to the press of the State.
(3)	To report biennially to the Governor 30 days prior to each regular session of the General Assembly, such report to include information and statistics of the public schools, with recommendations for their improvement and for such changes in the school law as shall occur to him.
(4)	To have printed and distributed such educational bulletins as he shall deem necessary for the professional improvement of teachers and for the cultivation of public sentiment for public education, and to have printed all forms necessary and proper for the administration of the Department of Public Instruction.
(5)	To have under his direction, in his capacity as the constitutional head of the public school system, all those matters relating to the supervision and administration of the public school system.
(5a)	To institute and maintain a plan to ensure that schools are ready to receive children and their families in an environment that is inviting and supportive and that encourages the families' participation.
(6)	To create a special fund within the Department of Public Instruction to manage funds received as grants from nongovernmental sources in support of public education.  The Superintendent may accept grants and gifts from corporations and other sources made in support of public education and may hold and disburse such funds, in accordance with the purposes, conditions, and limitations associated with such grants and gifts.  Any special fund created pursuant to this subdivision shall be subject to audit by the State Auditor.
(7)	To have solely under his direction and control all matters relating to provision of staff services and support to the State Board of Education, including implementation of federal programs on behalf of the State Board of Education, except as otherwise provided in the Current Operations Appropriations Act."
Sec. 3.  The Frank Porter Graham Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shall conduct a short-term program evaluation and shall develop a system to measure and analyze the long-term goals and outcomes of the Family Resources Grant Program established in Section 1 of this act, and shall file a written report no later than February 15, 1995, with the chair of the Interagency Task Force on Family Resources, the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the chairs of the appropriations committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the chairs of the Legislative Research Commission's Committee on Students at Risk or any successor legislative study committees.
Sec. 4.  The State Board of Education shall analyze the free lunch data that it currently gathers to determine its accuracy and to determine whether it reflects the socioeconomic status of the community in which a school is located.  If the Board determines that the data is inaccurate, the Board shall develop and implement a method to gather this information in a more accurate manner.  The Board shall file a written report no later than January 15, 1994, with the chair of the Interagency Task Force on Family Resources, the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairs of the Legislative Research Commission's Committee on Students at Risk or any successor legislative study committees.
Sec. 5.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Human Resources the sum of nine hundred fifty thousand dollars ($950,000) for the 1993-94 fiscal year and the sum of eight million four hundred fifty thousand dollars ($8,450,000) for the 1994-95 fiscal year to implement the provisions of this act.
Of these funds:
(1)	The sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) shall be used each year of the biennium by the Department of Human Resources, Office of the Secretary, for training, materials, and consultation services.
(2)	The sum of seven million five hundred thousand dollars ($7,500,000) shall be used in the 1994-95 fiscal year for grants of up to seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) per individual public school or consortia of public schools to begin implementation of the family resource center grants established in G.S. 143B-151.1 in order to establish family resource centers in at least 50 counties.  These grants shall be based on the guidelines established under G.S. 143B-151.3(a)(2).
(3)	The sum of seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) shall be used each year of the biennium for grants of up to thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) per consortia to begin implementation of the innovation grants established in G.S. 143B-151.1(c).  These grants shall be based on the guidelines established under G.S. 143B-151.3(a)(2).
Sec. 6.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1993.