§ 131D-10.9B.  Permanency Innovation Initiative Fund.

(a) There is created the Permanency Innovation Initiative Fund that will support a project with services provided by Children's Home Society of North Carolina to (i) improve permanency outcomes for children living in foster care through reunification with parents, providing placement or guardianship with other relatives, or adoption, (ii) improve engagement with biological relatives of children in or at risk of entering foster care, and (iii) reduce costs associated with maintaining children in foster care. In implementing these goals, the Permanency Innovation Initiative Fund shall support the following strategies:

(1) Repealed by Session Laws 2018-68, s. 7.1, effective October 1, 2018.

(2) Child Focused Recruitment Services, which is a program that follows the Wendy's Wonderful Kids Model as developed by The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and works with children in public foster care to develop and execute adoption recruitment plans tailored to the needs of the individual child. These services include enhanced family engagement practices to discover and engage relatives of children living in public foster care.

(3) Permanency Training Services, which are services delivered by Children's Home Society of North Carolina to support county departments of social services to implement the permanency strategies under subdivision (2) of this subsection, advance permanency-focused services for children in the legal custody of county departments of social services, and provide training and support services to caregivers and family members who are supporting the permanency goal of children in the legal custody of county departments of social services.

(a1) No more than fifteen percent (15%) of the State funds appropriated for this program shall be used for administrative costs.

(b) This program shall not constitute an entitlement and is subject to the availability of funds.

(b1) State funds provided for the Permanency Innovation Initiative Fund shall be used to supplement, not supplant, all available federal matching funds.

(c) The Social Services Commission shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this section. (2013-360, s. 12C.10(e); 2018-68, s. 7.1; 2020-78, s. 4G.1; 2021-180, s. 9I.9(a); 2023-134, s. 9J.8.)