A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to clarify the objective of child protective services and what child protective services encompasses.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 7B‑300 reads as rewritten:
"§ 7B‑300.  Protective services.
(a)	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. The primary objective of protective services is to protect juveniles and provide for the safety and well‑being of juveniles.
(b)	Protective services shall include each of the following:
(1)	Screening of reports in accordance with instructions provided by the Department.
(2)	The performance of an assessment using either a family assessment response or an investigative assessment response.
(3)	Casework.
(4)	Counseling services to juveniles, parents, guardians, or other caretakers as provided by the director to help the parents, guardians, or other caretakers and the court (i) to prevent abuse or neglect, (ii) to improve the quality of child care, (iii) to make more suitable decisions as parents, guardians, or caretakers, (iv) to better meet the needs of juveniles, (v) to preserve and stabilize family life, and (vi) to sustain the long‑term care and safety of juveniles."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.