North Carolina § 143B-168 - 14. Local partnerships; conditions.

§ 143B-168. 14. Local partnerships; conditions.

In order to receive State funds, the following conditions shall be met: Each local partnership shall develop a comprehensive, collaborative, long-range plan of services to children and families in the service-delivery area. No existing local, private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, other than one established on or after July 1, 1993, and that meets the guidelines for local partnerships as established under this Part, shall be eligible to apply to serve as the local partnership for the purpose of this Part. The Board of the North Carolina Partnership may authorize exceptions to this eligibility requirement. Each local partnership shall agree to adopt procedures for its operations that are comparable to those of Article 33C of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes, the Open Meetings Law, and Chapter 132 of the General Statutes, the Public Records Law, and provide for enforcement by the Department. The procedures may provide for the confidentiality of personnel files comparable to Article 7 of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes. Each local partnership shall adopt procedures to ensure that all personnel who provide services to young children and their families under this Part know and understand their responsibility to report suspected child abuse, neglect, or dependency, as defined in G.S. 7B-101. Each local partnership shall participate in the uniform, standard fiscal accountability plan developed and adopted by the North Carolina Partnership. Each local partnership shall be subject to audit and review by the North Carolina Partnership. The North Carolina Partnership shall contract for annual financial and compliance audits of local partnerships that are rated "needs improvement" in performance assessments authorized in G.S. 143B-168.12(a)(7). Local partnerships that are rated "superior" or "satisfactory" in performance assessments authorized in G.S. 143B-168.12(a)(7) shall undergo biennial financial and compliance audits as contracted for by the North Carolina Partnership. The North Carolina Partnership shall provide the State Auditor with a copy of each audit conducted pursuant to this subsection. History (1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 766, s. 1; 1996, 2nd Ex. Sess., c. 18, s. 24.29(d)(1); 1997-506, s. 59; 1998-202, s. 13( ll ); 1998-212, s. 12.37B(a); 2003-284, s. 19.1; 2007-323, s. 10.19B(b); 2009-451, s. 20C.1(b).) Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2013-360, s. 12B.1(k), as added by Session Laws 2014-100, s. 12B.6, provides: "(k) The administration of the NC Pre K program by local partnerships shall be subject to the biennial financial and compliance audits authorized under G.S. 143B 168.14(b)." Effect of Amendments. - Session Laws 2007-323, s. 10.19B.(b), effective July 1, 2007, added the last sentence of subdivision (a)(2). Session Laws 2009-451, s. 20C.1(b), effective July 1, 2009, in subsection (b), substituted "North Carolina Partnership" for "State Auditor under Article 5A of Chapter 147 of the General Statutes" at the end of the first sentence, substituted "The North Carolina Partnership shall contract for" for "The State Auditor shall conduct" at the beginning of the second sentence, substituted "as contracted for by the North Carolina Partnership" for "by the State Auditor" at the end of third sentence, and added the last sentence.