GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

EXTRA SESSION 1994

S	2 

SENATE BILL 38*
Select Committee on Juveniles/Prevention Committee Substitute Adopted 2/23/94

Short Title:  Children, Youth, Families.	(Public)
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Sponsors:
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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February 9, 1994

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO CREATE THE GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ON CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES, TO CREATE COUNTY COUNCILS ON CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES, AND TO MAKE AN APPROPRIATION.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Article 3 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Part to read:
"Part 5A.  Councils on Children, Youth, and Families.
"§ 143B-152.1.  Intent.
It is the intent of the General Assembly to (i)	promote and encourage collaboration and collaborative planning and delivery of services among agencies that serve the needs of children, youth, and families, (ii) make more effective use of existing federal, State, and local resources and programs for children, youth, and families, (iii) streamline the delivery of services and eliminate duplication of services for children, youth, and families, and (iv) promote and enhance State-level leadership in achieving these goals.
"§ 143B-152.2.  Governor's Council on Children, Youth, and Families; creation; meetings.
(a)	There is created a Governor's Council on Children, Youth, and Families in the Department of Human Resources for budgetary and staffing purposes only.  The Department of Human Resources shall provide staff and clerical support to the Council, but the Council shall exercise its statutory powers and duties independently of the Department.
(b)	 The Council shall consist of the following members:
(1)	One representative of the Office of the Governor, appointed by the Governor;
(2)	The Superintendent of Public Instruction;
(3)	The Secretary of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources;
(4)	The Secretary of Human Resources; and
(5)	The Chair of the State Board of Education.
The Governor may appoint any other representatives of State, local, or private entities that provide services and programs for children, youth, and families, and other interested individuals, such as low-income parents, parents of children with special needs, representatives of business and industry, and representatives of County Councils established under this Part, to serve on this Council.  The Governor shall appoint or serve as the Chair of the Council.
(c)	The Governor shall convene the Council within 60 days of the effective date of this Part.  Thereafter, the Council shall meet at least biannually upon the call of the Chair of the Council.
(d)	The Governor shall set the agenda for the Council's first meeting; the Chair, upon consultation with the Governor, shall set the agenda for subsequent meetings.  The Governor shall consider the Council's reports in setting State policy for children, youth, and families.
"§ 143B-152.3.  Powers and duties of the Council.
(a)	The Council shall:
(1)	Provide State-level leadership on issues affecting children and youth, including children with special needs, and their families;
(2)	Foster collaboration and coordination between and among the many State agencies with responsibility for providing services to children, youth, and families;
(3)	Help develop and carry out a unified and comprehensive long-range agenda for children, youth, and families;
(4)	Promote accountability for achieving the State's goals in a timely and effective manner by establishing strategies for evaluating programs affecting children, youth, and families;
(5)	Advise the Governor upon any other matter that the Governor may refer to the Council; and
(6)	Report biannually to the Governor and annually to the General Assembly on its progress in meeting the intent and purpose of this Part.
(b)	In carrying out its duties, the Council may:
(1)	Develop a strategic plan for the development, coordination, and implementation of services and programs for children, youth, and families.  This plan should:
a.	Include a system to evaluate the success of existing and new services and programs;
b.	Consider services and programs that are provided by nonpublic agencies; and
c.	Consider the establishment of a single portal of entry at the local level for the delivery of services by public agencies to children, youth, and families.
(2)	Prepare a State-level cooperative agreement among primary State agencies involved with providing services to children, youth, and families.  This agreement should address staffing, technical assistance, and other needs of local entities in their development of Family Resource Centers and Support Our Students Centers.
(3)	Identify federal, State, local, and private funds and other support for services and programs for children, youth, and families.
(4)	Review the programs of all State agencies that provide services to children, youth, and families and advise the Governor, Secretary of Human Resources, Secretary of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Chair of the State Board of Education on the coordination of programs to prevent duplication and overlapping of these services.
(5)	Develop recommendations with regard to laws, rules, and policies so as to improve the effective and efficient delivery of services through individual agencies and through collaboration among agencies.  In particular, the Council should evaluate laws, rules, and policies related to confidentiality of records so as to make recommendations to remove barriers to interagency exchange of information.
(6)	Serve as the agency through which various public and nonpublic organizations concerned with children, youth, and families can exchange information, coordinate programs, and be helped to engage in joint endeavors.
(7)	Consider the reports of the Community Councils in its deliberations and recommendations.
(c)	The Chair may establish any standing, ad hoc, or interagency committees and task forces as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Council and may appoint Council members or other individuals to serve on these committees and task forces.
(d)	The Council shall establish a Grant Review Committee that shall:
(1)	Receive and review applications for grants to establish Support Our Students Centers under Part 8 of Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes and to establish Family Resource Centers under Part 5B of Article 3 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes;
(2)	Develop a system for submitting applications and awarding grants for these centers;
(3)	Make recommendations on grant awards for Support Our Students Centers to the State Board of Education based on the criteria established in Part 8 of Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes; and
(4)	Make recommendations on grant awards for Family Resource Centers to the Secretary of Human Resources based on the criteria established in Part 5B of Article 3 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes.
(e)	All appropriate agencies, including the Department of Human Resources, the Department of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education, the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, the Administrative Office of the Courts, and other public and private providers of services for children, youth, and families shall cooperate with the Council in carrying out its mandate.
"§ 143B-152.4.  County Councils on Children, Youth, and Families; creation; meetings.
(a)	Each county may establish a County Council on Children, Youth, and Families.
(b)	Each County Council shall consist of the following members who shall be generally reflective of the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the county:
(1)	The superintendent of each local school administrative unit located in the county.
(2)	The director of the county department of social services.
(3)	The director of the county department of public health.
(4)	A local mental health professional, appointed by the director of the area authority established under Chapter 122C of the General Statutes.
(5)	The local board of education of each local school administrative unit located in the county shall appoint one member of the board of education, one teacher who teaches children in any of the grades between kindergarten through ninth grade, and one public school social worker or other student support personnel.
(6)	The board of county commissioners shall appoint one commissioner, one representative of the public library, and one local law enforcement officer.
(7)	The county manager.
(8)	The Chief District Court Judge shall appoint one District Court Judge with expertise relating to the juvenile justice system.
(9)	The President of the Community College that serves the county, or the President's designee.
At the initial meeting of the County Council, the Council shall appoint one representative of business and industry, one representative of a nonprofit organization that provides services to children, youth, and families, and one representative from a county religious organization.  The Council shall appoint a maximum of three parents of children who are eligible to be served by programs coordinated by any Neighborhood Councils as they are established.  These parents also should be members of the Neighborhood Council of the program that serves their children.
A County Council may appoint any other representatives of local public, private, or nonprofit agencies that provide services and programs for children, youth, and families in the county, and other interested individuals, such as low-income parents, parents of children with special needs, and representatives of business and industry, to serve as members of the County Council.  The Council shall elect a chair from its membership.  Vacancies on a County Council shall be filled by the original appointing authority.
A multidisciplinary or interagency committee, team, task force, or other entity that currently exists within the county to address issues affecting children, youth, and families may serve as the basis of the County Council.  In this case, the appointing authorities shall add additional members from the entities required to be represented by this subsection.
(c)	The chair of the board of county commissioners and the chair of the board of education of each local school administrative unit in the county shall jointly call the first meeting and set the agenda for that meeting.  Thereafter, the County Council shall meet at least quarterly upon the call of its chair, and the chair shall set the agendas for subsequent meetings.
"§ 143B-152.5.  Powers and duties of County Councils.
(a)	A County Council shall:
(1)	Provide local-level leadership on issues affecting children and youth, including children with special needs, and their families;
(2)	Foster collaboration and coordination between and among the many local agencies with responsibility for providing services to children, youth, and families;
(3)	Help develop and carry out a unified and comprehensive long-range agenda for children, youth, and families;
(4)	Promote accountability for achieving these goals in a timely and effective manner by establishing strategies for evaluating programs that serve children, youth, and families;
(5)	Identify sources of fiscal and other support for services and programs for children, youth, and families in the county;
(6)	Develop a system for selecting sites for Family Resource Centers and Support Our Students Centers, for assisting Neighborhood Councils in applying for grants to establish these centers, and for assisting in the monitoring of the ongoing operations of these centers as they are established;
(7)	Apply for incorporation no later than one year after formation of the Council; and
(8)	Report annually to the Governor's Council on Children, Youth, and Families on its progress in meeting the intent and purpose of this Part.
(b)	In carrying out its duties, a County Council may:
(1)	Develop a strategic plan for the development, coordination, and implementation of services and programs for children, youth, and families in the county.  This plan should:
a.	Include a system to evaluate the success of existing and new services and programs; and
b.	Consider services and programs for children, youth, and families that are provided by local private or nonprofit agencies.
(2)	Prepare a local-level cooperative agreement among primary local public agencies involved with providing services to children, youth, and families in the county.  This agreement should address staffing, technical assistance, and other needs of Family Resource Centers and Support Our Students Centers.
(3)	Develop recommendations concerning laws, rules, and policies so as to improve the effective and efficient delivery of services through individual agencies and through collaboration among agencies.
(4)	Serve as the local agency through which various public and nonpublic organizations concerned with children, youth, and families can exchange information, coordinate programs, and be helped to engage in joint endeavors.
(c)	A County Council may establish any standing, ad hoc, and interagency committees and task forces as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Council and may appoint Council members or other individuals to serve on these committees and task forces.
(d)	All appropriate agencies and other providers of services for children, youth, and families in the county shall cooperate with the County Council in carrying out its mandate."
Sec. 2.  The Governor's Council for Children, Youth, and Families shall develop procedures to evaluate the Family Resource Center Grant Program established under Part 5B of Article 3 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes and the Support Our Students Program established under Part 8 of Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes.  The Council may contract with a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina or with a nonprofit agency to carry out the evaluation, which shall include a short-term program evaluation and a system to measure and analyze long-term program goals and outcomes.  The Council shall report to the General Assembly by December 31, 1995, on the results of this evaluation.
Sec. 3.  The Governor's Council on Children, Youth, and Families shall file its initial report to the General Assembly under G.S. 143B-152.3(10) no later than December 31, 1994, and annually thereafter.
Sec. 4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Human Resources the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 1994-95 fiscal year to carry out the evaluation in Section 2 of this act.
Sec. 5.  Section 4 of this act becomes effective July 1, 1994.  The remainder of the act is effective upon ratification.