§ 42-72.7-5 - Funding.
SECTION 42-72.7-5
§ 42-72.7-5 Funding. – (a) There is established a fund within the department of children, youth, andfamilies to be allocated to each of the two (2) pilot program localcoordinating councils in Pawtucket/Central Falls and Washington County. Thisfund shall be comprised of the proportional share of funds utilized during thecurrent fiscal year for the residential treatment of children who reside in thecommunities which comprise each of the two (2) pilot program local coordinatingcouncils, which treatment is required not due to abuse or neglect of thosechildren. The sources of these funds will include those funds previouslyutilized by the department of children, youth, and families, the department ofelementary and secondary education, the department of mental health,retardation, and hospitals, the department of human services, or other agencyof state government which receives state or federal funds for children, andstate education funds distributed to local education authorities, to meet theprogramming needs of the children who are receiving residential services, notdue to abuse or neglect, and who are residents of the communities whichcomprise each of the two (2) pilot program local coordinating councils. Thisfund shall be assigned on a proportional basis to the two (2) pilot programlocal coordinating councils. This fund shall be expended for public or privatenonresidential or residential services for children and their families whoreside in the communities which comprise each of the two (2) pilot programlocal coordinating councils, and who are in need of education, care, andtreatment.
(b) The principles and purposes of organizing the locallyadministered merged funding for coordinated community social service,education, and mental health services for children in need of education, care,and treatment and their families are as follows:
(1) To place authority for making program and fundingdecisions at the community level;
(2) To consolidate categorical funding and institutecommunity responsibility for the provision of a full continuum of services;
(3) To provide flexibility in the use of funds to purchaseservices based on the strengths and needs of children in need of education,care, and treatment and their families;
(4) To reduce disparity in accessing services and to reducefiscal incentives for serving children in particular placements and servicesnot necessarily directly responsive to their identified individual needs;
(5) To ensure that the funding "follows the child" and thatany savings realized through the implementation of this chapter be applied tothe continuing development and refinement of an appropriate continuum ofcommunity-based children's services;
(6) To ensure that funding of services for children in needof education, care, and treatment and their families is based upon theachievement of specific agreed upon performance outcomes for children andfamilies receiving those services; and
(7) To create an equitable, stable, and consistent allocationof funding responsibility between state and local governmental agencies sharingresponsibility for children and families.