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HISTORY Since the m_id 1960's one of the most hopeful developments in the treat- ment and prevention of juvenile delinquency !las been the growing emphasis on community-based alternatives to state supported training schools. The basic rationale of the community based altersatives movement ~ t~a~ for most juven- ile offenders the most effective way to deal ~th the underlying causes of delinquency is by working ~dth the indi~4dual youth in their home co~munitieso Allied to this is the gro~,~hg realization of the debilitating affects of in- stitutionalization on the normal gro%~h and development of young people. A final major contributing factor to the nationwide growth of co~unity-based alternatives !las been the spiraling cost to state and local governments for institutional progrm~s. ~ne 197~ Session of the North Carolina General Assembly recogrdzed the need for improving services to cope w~_th the growing problems of crime and delinquency by enacting HB h~6(An Act to Provide Community-Based ~-lternatives to Stage Training Schools). Teat legislation established as state policy in dealing ~cith the problems of delinquency treatment and prevention: the pro- vision of '~ comprehensive plan for the development of Community-Based ~ltern- atives to training school commitment so that 'status offenders'.., may be eliminated from the Youth Development institutions of this state." In accordance w%th the provisions of HB h56 each county that desired to participate in this program was requested to appoint local Task Forces con- sisting of professional youth service providers and other interested citizens. P~ring the next 1~ months. 93 participating counties engaged in a county-wide Assessment of Youth Needs. Tee 1976 Special Session of the 1975 General Assembly appropriated $~50,000 to a Community Ser%~ces Fiend that was used to support wholly or in part 33 local community.based programs from across the State. ~s year the Department of Human Resources has identified children's services as one of the top priorities of the new a~,ninistration. To em- phasize that priority an Assistant Secretary for Children has been appointed and the Commuoity Based Alternative Section has been organized ~thin the Assdstant Secretary's Office. With the strong support of the Secretary of DHR and many private groups and organizations the 1977 General Assembly apprepriated one million dollars for each year of the current biennium to increase the state support for com- munity-based programs.