CHILD ADVOCACY WITHIN STATE GOVERNMENT - THE NORTH CAROLINA EXPERIENCE (FROM DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION PROGRAM AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT, 1977, BY JAMES L PAUL ET AL - SEE NCJ-51886)

• NCJ Number: 51888
• Author(s): D E TAYLOR
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Syracuse University Press
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE NORTH CAROLINA EXPERIENCE IN FORMALIZED CHILD ADVOCACY, INITIATED IN 1969, IS DESCRIBED. THE MANDATE WAS TO STUDY THE CONDITION OF EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED CHILDREN AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS IN GENERAL.

Abstract

A STUDY COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED WHICH DOCUMENTED THE FRAGMENTATION, LACK OF COORDINATION, AND SERVICE DELIVERY GAPS AMONG PROGRAMS SERVING CHILDREN AT THE STATE AND COMMUNITY LEVEL. MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE MADE TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH, PRIMARILY INVOLVING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A GOVERNOR'S ADVOCACY COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH BY LEGISLATIVE ACTION. THIS COMMISSION FORMALLY WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1971 AND GIVEN THE FOLLOWING POWERS AND DUTIES: (1) TO ACT AS AN ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITHIN STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND WITHIN PRIVATE AGENCIES SERVING CHILDREN AND YOUTH; (2) TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND COORDINATION OF CHILD ADVOCACY SYSTEMS AT THE REGIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL; (3) TO CONDUCT A CONTINUING REVIEW OF EXISTING PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH, INCLUDING EVALUATIONS OF THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES, AND TO REVIEW NEW PROGRAMS PRIOR TO THEIR IMPLEMENTATION; (4) TO RECOMMEND NEW PROGRAMS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN EXISTING SERVICES; (5) TO HELP STATE, LOCAL, PUBLIC, AND PRIVATE AGENCIES IN THE EFFECTIVE COORDINATION OF SERVICES; (6) TO MAKE REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONCERNING CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS; (7) TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH TO STATE, LOCAL, PUBLIC, AND PRIVATE AGENCIES AND TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC; AND (8) TO CONDUCT STUDIES RELEVANT TO THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH. THE EXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION ACT OF 1973 CHANGED THE NAME OF THE COMMISSION TO THE GOVERNOR'S ADVOCACY COUNCIL ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH AND PLACED THE ADVOCACY COUNCIL IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES. THE OFFICE FOR CHILDREN WAS CREATED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN 1974 TO PROVIDE COORDINATION IN PLANNING FOR AND THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO CHILDREN. A DEFINITION OF CHILD ADVOCACY AS AN INTERNAL PART OF THE STATE'S CHILD-SERVING SYSTEM HAS EMERGED, AND THE PLACEMENT OF CHILD ADVOCACY WITHIN STATE GOVERNMENT IS A DIRECT REFLECTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE MANDATE TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF NEEDED SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH. SPECIFIC ADVOCACY PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED IN NORTH CAROLINA ARE DETAILED. (DEP)