NCJ Number
77209
Date Published
1980
Length
50 pages
Annotation
This report presents recommendations of the foster care, police diversion, and community education task forces of the Washtenaw County Coordinating Council for Children at Risk, Washtenaw, Mich.
Abstract
The recommendations of the Task Force on Foster Care concern primarily services to foster families and to intact families (i.e., those families who are under stress and are at risk of requiring foster care). The recommendations include coordination and possible expansion of educational and support programs and an annual Foster Family Recognition Day. A Parent Aide Program for parents of adolescents and/or adolescent parents is also recommended, as well as coordination with Parents Anonymous (a self-help group for parents who are or are fearful of becoming abusive or neglectful). Other concerns addressed by the task force include emergency shelter care and short-term in-home counseling. Recommendations of the Police Diversion Task Force concern the development and approval of uniform procedures for youth diversion, more efficient use of existing community resources as alternatives, and increased knowledge of alternative services in the community. The recommendations include the expansion of the Juvenile Services Unit personnel in order to provide diversion services to all police departments in the county in addition to schools and private citizens. The activities and recommendations of the Task Force on Community Education, created to improve effective use of existing services to youth (through community education) as alternatives to institutionalization, are examined. They include education and training activities, visual aids and public information. For example, the task force has sponsored an informal luncheon speaker series for inservice training and community education. Statistical data and other materials are contained in seven appendixes. A list of the council members is included.