Child advocate columns, Aug. 4, 2008

Office of the Child Advocate
3312 Northside Drive, Suite D-250 Macon, Georgia 31210
478-757-2661 or 1-800-254-2064 www.gachildadvocate.org
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Summertime Activities for Child Welfare
By: Tom C. Rawlings, Director
"Summertime, and the living is easy." So goes the song. Those familiar with the rush and hurry of a Georgia General Assembly session might be tempted to think that, during these quiet summer months when the State Capitol lawn is usually quiet and a person can find a parking spot, that there's little policy or law being crafted under the Gold Dome.
Don't let the calm atmosphere fool you. Right now, agencies are working toward a September 1 deadline to formulate their budgets for the 2010 fiscal year and also to make any changes that will need to be incorporated into the amended 2009 budget. In the area of child welfare, planners with the Department of Human Resources and the Governor's Office are plotting strategies for addressing the needs of troubled youth and at-risk families amid the current economic difficulties that limit both family budgets and government revenues.
The Legislature itself is busy gearing up for the 2009 session by studying issues related to children and families. In particular, three different legislative study committees are taking public testimony on child welfare issues and doing research on possible legislation to improve our system of delivering services to those in need. These special legislative committees were created during the 2008 General Assembly session to study specific issues and report back to their legislative colleagues. They include:
The House Study Committee for the Protection of Abused and Neglected Children, created by HR 1701 and chaired by Rep.
Calvin Hill. This committee has already met once to hear from concerned citizens, experts, and those working on the front line of child welfare and will have other meetings over the coming months. While it is looking generally at the issue of how our state protects abused and neglected children, the committee will specifically consider recommendations for improving the juvenile court process through which children are placed in foster care and, in the most egregious cases, their parents' rights terminated.
A joint study commission created by the House and Senate is examining our laws and procedures for assisting children who
have been victims of commercial sexual exploitation and child prostitution. Sen. Renee Untermann and Rep. Calvin Hill cochair this committee, whose charge is to examine how the blight of child prostitution is affecting our state and how we can best align our resources and personnel to fight it. Created by Senate Resolution 445, this commission includes members of the legislature as well as prosecutors, judges, and members of the child advocacy community.
The Senate has also put together a study committee to study children's mental health. Created by SR 1187 and chaired by
Sen. Don Thomas, this committee is scheduled to meet for the first time on August 21, 2008, at the Capitol. Sen. Thomas' committee will examine the scope of the mental health problems suffered by Georgia's children and develop ways to combat the shortage of mental health personnel and resources needed to serve this population. If you would like to know more about the charge given to each of these committees, visit www.legis.ga.gov and enter the Senate (SR) or House (HR) resolution number in the search box to retrieve each committee's authorizing legislation. As we at the Office of Child Advocate receive from each committee notices of hearings seeking public comment, we will post them at www.gachildadvocate.org. With children out of school, vacations, and long, warm evenings, summertime is a great time for families to spend together. But for child and family advocates and those interested in influencing child welfare policy in this state, it's also one of the most important times of the year for influencing policymakers and budget planners. If your community needs the ear of those who provide the policy, funding, and infrastructure for child and family services, don't wait for cold weather to talk with your legislators. Strike now, while the iron is hot and the days even hotter!
Tom Rawlings, Georgia's Child Advocate for the Protection of Children, was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue to assure quality and efficiency in Georgia's child protective systems. The Office of the Child Advocate is a resource for those interested in the welfare of our state's neglected and abused children. Tom can be reached through the OCA website at www.gachildadvocate.org