Children's Services

LWVMD takes Action to support a comprehensive range of child-centered services to ensure all children a chance to grow toward stable, productive adulthood. (1995)

Support for: Making the needs of children a high priority of government. Effective services for children, including:

• (a) collaboration across departmental and agency lines to provide seamless services for children.
• (b) community-based points of entry where families at risk can apply for multiple services.
• (c) consumer-oriented service centers sited in easily accessible neighborhood locations (such as schools) with hours convenient to families.
• (d) a compatible computer system with appropriate safeguards for confidentiality, connecting agencies serving children to allow more open collaboration and provide comprehensive resource listing.
• (e) a non-categorized contingency fund, with rational limits and clear accountability, available to line workers dealing with crisis situations.
• (f) early intervention to prevent later crisis.
• (g) result-oriented, long term evaluations of program and services based on measured outcomes.