system of care for rhode island's children, youth and families

CHAPTER 7: IMPLEMENTATION
No plan of action is successful without clear articulation of roles, responsibilities,
benchmarks, and time frames. The reorganization of Rhode Island’s system of care for
children, youth, and their families is no different. Numerous state, community, public, and
private stakeholders are involved in each of the recommendations presented. The stakes are
high for providers, state agencies, the Judicial Branch, and the Legislature and especially for
the children and families served. It is imperative that there is clear designation of who, what,
when, where, and how each of these recommendations will be implemented.
IMPLEMENTATION RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The Children’s Cabinet is designated as the group responsible for oversight and
implementation of this plan.
a) In order for the Cabinet to be able to effectively meet this and its other
responsibilities, the Cabinet must be restructured in a manner which
provides a greater depth of staff level involvement and commitment and
a greater ability to provide forums for state agencies to work
collaboratively on issues that does not interfere with the public’s access to
the Cabinet.
b) The Task Force should recommend to the General Assembly
changes to RIGL 42-72.5 which will provide the Cabinet with the
direction and flexibility needed to accomplish this restructuring.
The systemic changes called for in this report require strong collaboration between
and among state agencies as well as between and among the Executive, Legislative,
and Judicial branches of government. The Children’s Cabinet provides an existing
structure within the Executive Branch to oversee and implement this plan. However,
in order to accomplish this responsibility, it is clear that the Cabinet must restructure
itself in a manner that provides for greater interagency collaboration as well as
greater involvement from the Legislative and Judicial branches of state government.
In this restructuring, the Cabinet must identify mechanisms which provide for the
creation of interagency staff level work teams for prevention, financing and system
management planning, development and implementation. In developing these teams,
the Cabinet must consider how to most effectively involve the Legislative and
Judicial branches of government, the Offices of the Attorney General and Public
Defender, and non-governmental organizations and individuals.
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