It is the purpose of this article to develop and enhance the delivery of services to severely emotionally disturbed children and youth and to ensure that the special needs of this population are met appropriately to the extent possible within this State. To achieve this objective, the Continuum of Care for Emotionally Disturbed Children Division is established as a division of the Department of Children's Advocacy. This article supplements and does not supplant existing services provided to this population.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 361, Section 2; 2014 Act No. 121 (S.22), Pt V, Section 7.MM.2, eff July 1, 2015; 2018 Act No. 160 (S.805), Section 6, eff July 1, 2019.

Editor's Note

2018 Act No. 160, Sections 18.A and 18.B, provide as follows:

"SECTION 18. A. Where the provisions of this act transfer duties, programs, or services of the Department of Administration to the Department of Children's Advocacy, the employees, authorized appropriations, and assets and liabilities of these divisions, services, and programs also are transferred to and become part of the Department of Children's Advocacy. All classified or unclassified personnel employed by the divisions, programs, services, or initiatives transferred from the Department of Administration, either by contract or by employment at will, become on July 1, 2019, employees of the Department of Children's Advocacy, with the same compensation, classification, and grade level, as applicable. Before the transfer of the applicable divisions, programs, services, or initiatives of the Department of Administration pursuant to this act, these agencies and organizations shall cause all necessary actions to be taken to accomplish this transfer in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations."

"B. Applicable regulations promulgated by the Department of Administration are continued and are considered to be promulgated by the Department of Children's Advocacy. Applicable contracts entered into by the Department of Administration are continued and are considered to be devolved upon the Department of Children's Advocacy at the time of the transfer."

Effect of Amendment

2014 Act No. 121, Section 7.MM.2, substituted "as a division of the Department of Administration" for "in the office of the Governor".

2018 Act No. 160, Section 6, in the second sentence, substituted "Department of Children's Advocacy" for "Department of Administration".