EXECUTIVE ORDERS

elsewhere in the nation are causing increasing serious
problems, such as neglect, abuse, childhood illness,
underdevelopment, school failure, juvenile crime, addiction
to drugs, runaways, and teen pregnancy, which prevent the
development of skills and self-reliance;

WHEREAS, Present children and family services programs in
Maryland are administered separately by numerous State and
local agencies with different service delivery systems,
different funding sources, and different eligibility
requirements and do not fully utilize other public or
private resources;

WHEREAS, Improved coordination, greater accountability, and more
effective service delivery can be achieved by reallocation
of funds, replacement of inefficient programs and closer
ties with local government and private agencies and
resources;

WHEREAS, The Executive Department and General Assembly have
recognized the need for more effective interagency planning
and coordination of these services and the greater use of
community resources to address the problems now being faced
by Maryland's children and families;

WHEREAS, State agencies are already involved in several projects
to improve and reform children and family services which
emphasize the need to detect and prevent serious problems of
children at an early stage, the primary role of the family
in providing effective care of troubled and needy infants
and youths, the necessity for close coordination of children
and family services programs, and the maximum, most
efficient use of all available resources; and

WHEREAS, It is clear that the success of these various initiative
requires a formal structure for their close coordination,
the development of common goals and policies, interagency
planning on the State and local level, and involvement of a
broad array of public and private agencies and local
community organizations;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE
OF MARYLAND, BY VIRTUE OF THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME BY THE
CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF MARYLAND, HEREBY PROMULGATE THE
FOLLOWING ORDER:

A. The Children and Family Services Reform Project is
established within the Executive Department. Its purpose is
to begin a focused pilot project designed to create a model
children and family services systems which will:

(1) Strengthen families' capacities to care for their
children at home;

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