NCSEA Connections: Child Support Product and Services Guide
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A division of<br />
CROSS-PROGRAM CONSULTING<br />
North Carolina Navigates Complex Multisystem<br />
Reform to Improve Service Delivery to Families<br />
Like most states, North Carolina is home to dozens of government agencies<br />
<strong>and</strong> hundreds of public servants devoted to the safety <strong>and</strong> well-being of its<br />
most vulnerable citizens. With 100 separate county social services<br />
departments under the State Department of Health <strong>and</strong> Human <strong>Services</strong><br />
(DHHS) supervision, competing interests <strong>and</strong> differing views created tension<br />
<strong>and</strong> dysfunction among the agencies. The result was a fragmented system<br />
with too many gaps to consistently meet the needs of those it served. For<br />
nearly a decade, efforts to transform North Carolina’s social services system<br />
failed to gain traction or result in sustained reform. In 2017, the tragic death<br />
of a child in state care prompted legislative action requiring third-party<br />
intervention to assess <strong>and</strong> improve the State’s service delivery, crossagency<br />
collaboration, data sharing, <strong>and</strong> funding options.<br />
KEYS TO OUR SUCCESS<br />
“[SLI] brought the best of both worlds—consultants who had national<br />
expertise [<strong>and</strong>] people who understood the complexities of our state<br />
<strong>and</strong> local system <strong>and</strong> our operational nuances.” ~ State DHHS Leader
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