CHAIRMAN SHARON COOPER PRAISES PASSAGE OF CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICE STRENGTHENING ACT OF 2008

 ATLANTA—Georgia State Representative Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta), Chairman of the House Committee on Health & Human Services, praised the passage of House Bill 1054, the Children and Family Service Strengthening Act of 2008, by the full House.

“The welfare and care of Georgia’s at risk children is a top priority of this legislature,” Cooper said.  “By combining separate entities with similar missions and duplicative processes, we are streamlining the services we offer and creating greater efficiencies in the programs in place to protect our children from dangerous situations.”

HB 1054 places the duties and responsibilities of the Office of Child Fatality Review Panel under the auspices of the Office of the Child Advocate where similar duties of collecting data on child injuries, child abuse and child fatalities are already being undertaken.  The measure also combines the duties of the Children’s Trust Fund Commission with those of the Children and Youth Coordinating Council.  Both of these agencies are already funding programs to prevent child abuse and juvenile delinquencies.  Combining these agencies will streamline the processes the funding of community programs that protect children.  The bill will also ensure the programs in place are operating in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

The House adopted the measure by a vote of 99-67.

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