(1) The State Commission on Children and Families shall promote the wellness of children and families at the state level and shall act in accordance with the principles, characteristics and values identified in ORS 417.708 to 417.725. The state commission shall provide no direct services.
(2)(a) Funds for local commissions shall consist of payments from moneys appropriated for local commissions to the State Commission on Children and Families by the Legislative Assembly. The state commission shall develop an equitable formula for the distribution of funds to counties or regions for services for children and families, and a minimum annual grant shall be provided to each county or region.
(b) The state commission shall provide technical assistance and research-based information to local commissions to support the development of county goals, performance measures and outcomes for services and programs.
(c) The state commission may withhold funds from a local commission if services and programs funded through the local commission do not meet appropriate performance measures and outcomes.
(3) The state commission shall:
(a) Set guidelines for the planning, coordination and delivery of services by local commissions in partnership with other planning bodies and agencies providing services for children and families. The guidelines shall be consistent with the key elements of the service system developed and implemented under ORS 417.705 to 417.801. In conjunction with other planning bodies and agencies providing social supports, the state commission shall use the local coordinated comprehensive plans to advise agencies, the Legislative Assembly and the Governor;
(b) Advise the Legislative Assembly and the Governor concerning possible solutions to problems facing children and families;
(c) In consultation with other agencies, identify high-level and intermediate outcomes relating to children and families and monitor the progress of local coordinated comprehensive plans in meeting intermediate outcome targets;
(d) Encourage the development of innovative projects, based on proven practices of effectiveness, that benefit children and families;
(e) Ensure that all services for children and families are integrated and evaluated according to their outcomes;
(f) Compile, analyze and distribute information that informs and supports statewide coordinated planning;
(g) Establish a uniform system of reporting and collecting statistical data from counties and other agencies serving children and families;
(h) Provide a process whereby the Department of Human Services, Juvenile Crime Prevention Advisory Committee, Oregon Youth Authority, Department of Education, Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development, Employment Department, Housing and Community Services Department and Economic and Community Development Department review all findings from data collected by the local commissions through the local coordinated comprehensive plans. The information gathered in this review shall be considered by those agencies in designing future economic resources and services and in the coordination of services;
(i) Make recommendations to the Commission for Child Care for the development of the state’s biennial child care plan; and
(j) Communicate information and policy advice on current research and proven practices of effectiveness, from both inside and outside the state, including successful local strategies, to local commissions, the Governor, the Legislative Assembly, state agencies and the public. The information shall include progress in meeting intermediate outcome targets identified in the local coordinated comprehensive plans.
(4)(a) The state commission shall develop a review and approval process for local coordinated comprehensive plans that includes:
(A) A requirement that the local plan has been approved by the board or boards of county commissioners;
(B) Assurance that the local plan meets essential criteria and approval required by appropriate entities and meets appropriate systems and planning connections; and
(C) Review of state expenditures of resources allocated to the local commissions on children and families.
(b) The state commission shall develop the process under this subsection in consultation with other entities involved in the review and approval process.
(c) The state commission shall act on any waiver request from a local commission within 90 days after receipt of the request.
(d) The state commission may disapprove a local plan for failure to address the elements described in paragraph (a) of this subsection within 90 days after receipt of the request.
(5) The state commission, in coordination with the local commissions on children and families, shall:
(a) Assist the local commissions in the development and implementation of performance measures and outcomes for evaluating services at the local level;
(b) Monitor the progress in meeting intermediate outcome targets in the local coordinated comprehensive plans;
(c) In conjunction with the Department of Human Services and using the staff resources and other resources of the state commission, educate, inform and provide technical assistance to local commissions, including but not limited to technical assistance with:
(A) Federal and state laws, regulations and rules, and changes therein, governing the use of federal and state funds;
(B) Facilitation;
(C) Planning;
(D) Policy development;
(E) Proven practices of effectiveness;
(F) Local systems development;
(G) Community problem solving and mobilization; and
(H) Other services, as appropriate;
(d) Conduct research and disseminate information to local commissions on children and families;
(e) Negotiate federal waivers in consultation with the Department of Human Services; and
(f) Develop a process for reviewing requests for waivers from requirements of the state commission. Requests for waivers shall be granted or denied as a part of the approval process for a local coordinated comprehensive plan. The state commission shall not grant a request for waiver that allows funds to be used for any purpose other than early childhood prevention, intervention and treatment programs.
(6) The state commission shall employ a staff director who shall be responsible for hiring and supervising any additional personnel necessary to assist the state commission in performing its duties. The staff director shall be responsible for management functions of the state commission subject to policy direction by the state commission.
(7) To the extent that federal funding is not jeopardized, the State Commission on Children and Families shall enter into an interagency agreement with the Department of Human Services in which they agree on a system to:
(a) Distribute all Title XX Social Services Block Grant funds;
(b) Ensure that federal and state requirements are met for federal funds administered by the state commission; and
(c) Carry out the necessary auditing, monitoring and information requirements for federal funds distributed by the state commission.
(8) In addition to the authority under subsection (5)(e) of this section, the state commission may direct the Department of Human Services or the appropriate state department providing services for children and families to negotiate federal waivers. If the Department of Human Services or any other state agency does not pursue a federal waiver recommended by the state commission, the state commission may ask the Governor to direct the Department of Human Services or other state agency to apply for and negotiate the waiver.
(9) If the Department of Human Services or any other state agency refuses to distribute state or federal funds as requested by the state commission, the state commission may ask the Governor to direct the Department of Human Services or other state agency to distribute the funds.
(10) The programs shall be funded as fully as possible by Title XX of the federal Social Security Act, consistent with the terms and conditions of the block grant program and the local coordinated comprehensive plans that reflect community priorities established by the local planning process.
(11) In conjunction with the Department of Human Services, the state commission, as soon as possible, shall develop a plan to re-engineer and integrate the data processing systems related to children’s programs with the objective of making management information more accessible. The state commission shall make regular presentations to the Joint Legislative Committee on Information Management and Technology on its progress in developing and implementing the plan.
(12) Before each regular session of the Legislative Assembly, the state commission shall report, to the Governor and to the appropriate joint interim committee as determined by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, the following:
(a) Any additional proposals contained in “A Positive Future for Oregon’s Children and Families” by the 1991-1992 Oregon Children’s Care Team Interim Task Force that should be undertaken;
(b) The status in all counties of local service systems related to the health and wellness of children and the adequacy of financial resources to deliver services;
(c) The progress in achieving desired outcomes, including but not limited to the statewide guidelines set by the state commission under ORS 417.710 (1);
(d) Barriers to achieving intermediate and high-level outcome targets as identified in local coordinated comprehensive plans;
(e) Proposed solutions to barriers identified under paragraph (d) of this subsection, including proven, effective and innovative strategies; and
(f) County and community mobilization to increase public awareness and involvement and funding of community determined priorities.
(13)(a) The state commission may solicit, accept and receive federal moneys or moneys or other property from persons or corporations, public or private, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of ORS 417.705 to 417.801 and 419A.170.
(b) All federal moneys collected or received under paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be accepted and transferred or expended by the state commission upon such terms and conditions as are prescribed by the federal government.
(c) All moneys and other property accepted by the state commission under this subsection shall be transferred, expended or used upon such terms and conditions as are prescribed by the donor in a manner consistent with applicable law.
(14) The state commission shall:
(a) Implement the recommendations of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Advisory Committee, as approved by the Governor; and
(b) In cooperation with other state and federal agencies, coordinate technical assistance efforts on a statewide and county-specific basis relating to juvenile crime prevention programs and services.
(15) The state commission may contract with local governments or other entities to administer juvenile crime prevention programs and services. In accordance with the applicable provisions of ORS chapter 183, the state commission may adopt rules necessary for the administration of juvenile crime prevention programs and services. [1993 c.676 §5; 1995 c.800 §3; 1997 c.249 §129; 1997 c.707 §30; 1999 c.1053 §6; 2001 c.831 §10b; 2001 c.905 §1; 2003 c.148 §2; 2003 c.293 §4; 2005 c.503 §9]
Section: Previous 417.715 417.720 417.725 417.727 417.728 417.730 417.733 417.735 417.740 417.745 417.747 417.748 417.750 417.755 417.760 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008