§ 7B-1400. Declaration of public policy. - North Carolina Statutes

Article14.

North Carolina ChildFatality Prevention System.

§ 7B‑1400.  Declarationof public policy.

The General Assembly findsthat it is the public policy of this State to prevent the abuse, neglect, anddeath of juveniles. The General Assembly further finds that the prevention ofthe abuse, neglect, and death of juveniles is a community responsibility; thatprofessionals from disparate disciplines have responsibilities for children orjuveniles and have expertise that can promote their safety and well‑being;and that multidisciplinary reviews of the abuse, neglect, and death ofjuveniles can lead to a greater understanding of the causes and methods ofpreventing these deaths. It is, therefore, the intent of the General Assembly,through this Article, to establish a statewide multidisciplinary, multiagencychild fatality prevention system consisting of the State Team established inG.S. 7B‑1404 and the Local Teams established in G.S. 7B‑1406. Thepurpose of the system is to assess the records of selected cases in whichchildren are being served by child protective services and the records of alldeaths of children in North Carolina from birth to age 18 in order to (i)develop a communitywide approach to the problem of child abuse and neglect,(ii) understand the causes of childhood deaths, (iii) identify any gaps ordeficiencies that may exist in the delivery of services to children and theirfamilies by public agencies that are designed to prevent future child abuse,neglect, or death, and (iv) make and implement recommendations for changes tolaws, rules, and policies that will support the safe and healthy development ofour children and prevent future child abuse, neglect, and death. (1991,c. 689, s. 233(a); 1993, c. 321, s. 285(a); 1998‑202, s. 6.)