A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to restore budget cuts and appropriate funds for the child welfare collaborative.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services the sum of two hundred sixty‑one thousand twenty‑eight dollars ($261,028) for the 2009‑2010 fiscal year and the sum of two hundred sixty‑one thousand twenty‑eight dollars ($261,028) for the 2010‑2011 fiscal year to be allocated to the Child Welfare Collaborative, which is a joint effort of the North Carolina Social Work Programs, the North Carolina Division of Social Services, the North Carolina Association of County Directors, and the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. The funds shall be used to continue social work programs in higher education at seven current universities: Joint MSW program at North Carolina A&T State University and University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, East Carolina University, North Carolina State University, Appalachian State University, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, to thereby avoid a decrease in the number of persons holding bachelor's of social work and master's of social work degrees working in Child Protective Services in local departments of social services. In addition, the sum of two million seven hundred seventy‑seven thousand seven hundred fifteen dollars ($2,777,715) for the 2009‑2010 fiscal year and the sum of two million seven hundred seventy‑seven thousand seven hundred fifteen dollars ($2,777,715) for the 2010‑2011 fiscal year are allocated from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families block grant and the Title IV‑E foster care administration funds to support the Child Welfare Collaborative.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services the sum of nine hundred thousand dollars ($900,000) for the 2009‑2010 fiscal year and the sum of nine hundred thousand dollars ($900,000) for the 2010‑2011 fiscal year to be allocated to the Child Welfare Collaborative, which is a joint effort of the North Carolina Social Work Programs, the North Carolina Division of Social Services, the North Carolina Association of County Directors, and the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. The funds shall be used to continue social work programs in higher education at four additional universities to include:  the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Fayetteville State University, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and Western Carolina University and thereby increase the number of persons holding bachelor's of social work and master's of social work degrees working in Child Protective Services in local departments of social services.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2009.