AG 1994 09 19 - Laserfiche WebLink

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- 2 - Duties and responsibilities of the teams are to review cases of child fatalities in order to identify any deficiencies in the community child protection system and to assist the director of social services in the protection of surviving siblings. Additionally, the teams will review (selected) active cases in order to assist the director in evaluating allegations of abuse or neglect and in planning for the provision of preventive services. The team is expected to recommend and ~dvpcate for system improvements and resources where deficiencies are identified. The ~teams do not have oversight responsibility with respect to the Child Protective Services function of the county department of social services. Rather, the teams are intended to serve as a resource to the department in reviewing cases and coordinating community services. The county director of social services' has responsibility for establishing the community child protection team. Unless the county board of commissioners appoints a chair for the team within 30 days of the enactment of the Administrative Code provisions (or of a later vacancy in the position of chair) the director of social services is to serve in this capacity. The director or his designate is to participate as a member of the team. The team is to include representatives from other human service and law enforcement agencies engaged in provision of services to children and their families and of individuals representing the community. Representatives to be invited by the director of social services to participate are to include but not be limited to the following: local law enforcement, District Attorney's office, the medical profession, local community action agency, school personnel, and county social services board member. The board of commissioners, at its option, may designate up to five representatives of agencies or the community at large to be invited by the director of social services. At a special called meeting of the Child Victimization Council held on June 11, 1991, the Council accepted the recommendation of the Department of Social Services that the Cabarrus County Child Protection Team be organized as a sub-committee of the Council. On June 17, 1991, the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners accepted the recommendation and the recommendation that the Director of Social Services serve initially as Chairman of the Team. In organizing the Child Protection Team great care was taken to meet the requirements of the Governor's Executive Order and to have the strongest possible Team. The Department of Social Services issued invitations to persons who had been involved with the Child Victimization Council to serve on the Child Protection Team. (In some instances individuals were invited to serve as "alternate" representatives of ~.heir organizations.) Invitations were also extended to several individuals representing organizations which had not previously had involvement with the Child Victimization Council. The Child Protection Team began a monthly meeting schedule in September 1991. Proposals By November 1991, some 30 individuals were actively involved with the Child Victimization Council. This level of involvement is sufficient to support not only the operation of the Child Protection Team but other highly related and equally important functions of the Child Victimization Council. Specialization of efforts in several key areas will provide the most effective approach to accomplishing improvements to the community's system for protecting children from neglect and abuse.