North Carolina § 7B-300 - Protective services.

§ 7B-300. Protective services.

The director of the department of social services in each county of the State shall establish protective services for juveniles alleged to be abused, neglected, or dependent. Protective services shall include the screening of reports, the performance of an assessment using either a family assessment response or an investigative assessment response, casework, or other counseling services to parents, guardians, or other caretakers as provided by the director to help the parents, guardians, or other caretakers and the court to prevent abuse or neglect, to improve the quality of child care, to be more adequate parents, guardians, or caretakers, and to preserve and stabilize family life. History (1979, c. 815, s. 1; 1981, c. 359, s. 1; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 923, s. 1; 1997-506, s. 31; 1998-202, s. 6; 1999-456, s. 60; 2005-55, s. 2; 2015-123, s. 2.) Cross References. - As to collaboration between Division of Social Services and Commission of Indian Affairs on Indian child welfare issues, see G.S. 143B-139.5A. As to establishment of School-Based Child and Family Team Initiative, see note under G.S. 143B-366. School-Based Child and Family Team Initiative. - Session Laws 2005-276, s. 6.24, provides for the development and implementation of a School-Based Child and Family Team Initiative. See note at G.S. 115C-105.20. Editor's Note. - Articles 1-11, of Subchapter I of Chapter 7B , as enacted by Session Laws 1998-202, s. 6, and amended by Session Laws 1998-229, ss. 18 through 28, and Session Laws 1999-456, s. 60, are effective July 1, 1999, and applicable to abuse, neglect, and dependency reports received, petitions filed, and reviews commenced on or after that date. Section 5 of Session Laws 1998-202, also effective July 1, 1999, repealed the former North Carolina Juvenile Code, Articles 41 through 59 of Chapter 7A , along with additional related provisions. Where applicable, historical citations and case annotations to former sections have been added to the corresponding sections in new Chapter 7B . At the end of new Chapter 7B are tables showing comparable sections and their disposition of new Chapter 7B . Session Laws 1998-202, s. 36, contains a severability clause. Session Laws 1999-237, s. 11.27(a) provides that the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, shall develop a plan, working with local departments of social services, to implement a dual response system of child protection in no fewer than two and no more than five demonstration areas in this State, where local child protective services and law enforcement work together as coinvestigators in serious abuse cases and where a family assessment and services approach is utilized. Session Laws 1999-237, s. 1.1 provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations and Capital Improvements Appropriations Act of 1999'." Session Laws 1999-237, s. 30.2 provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 1999-2001 fiscal biennium, the textual provisions of this act apply only to funds appropriated for, and activities occurring during, the 1999-2001 biennium." Session Laws 1999-237, s. 30.4, contains a severability clause. Session Laws 2009-126, s. 1(a) and (b), provides: "The Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee shall include in the 2009-2010 Work Plan for the Program Evaluation Division of the General Assembly a study of existing programs that directly or indirectly benefit children and youth in this State. The Division shall identify the programs and their sources of funding and determine whether the programs have clear goals, indicators, or benchmarks by which to measure the programs' success. "The Program Evaluation Division shall submit its findings and recommendations to the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee, the Joint Legislative Study Commission on Children and Youth, and the Fiscal Research Division at a date to be determined by the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee." Effect of Amendments. - Session Laws 2015-123, s. 2, effective January 1, 2016, deleted the former last paragraph, which read: "The provisions of this Article shall also apply to child care facilities as defined in G.S. 110-86." Legal Periodicals. - For article, "In Re R.R.N.: Redefining 'Caretaker' for North Carolina Child Protective Services," see 40 Campbell L. Rev. 265 (2018).