§ 143B‑152.13.  Grants review and selection.

(a) The Department shall develop and disseminate a request for applications and establish procedures to be followed in developing and submitting applications to establish local family resource centers and administering grants to establish local family resource centers.

(b) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall appoint a State task force to assist the Secretary in reviewing grant applications. The State task force shall include representatives of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Instruction, local school administrative units, educators, parents, the juvenile justice system, social services, and governmental agencies providing services to children, and other members the Secretary considers appropriate. In appointing the State task force, the Secretary shall consult with the Superintendent of Public Instruction in an effort to coordinate the membership of this State task force, the State task force appointed by the Secretary pursuant to G.S. 143B‑152.5, and the State task force appointed by the Superintendent pursuant to G.S. 115C‑238.42.

In reviewing grant applications, the Secretary and the State task force may consider (i) the severity of the local problems as determined by the needs assessment data, (ii) the likelihood that the locally designed plan will result in high quality services for children and their families, (iii) evidence of local collaboration and coordination of services, (iv) any innovative or experimental aspects of the plan that will make it a useful model for replication in other counties, (v) the availability of other resources or funds, (vi) the incidence of crime and juvenile delinquency, (vii) the amount needed to implement the proposal, and (viii) any other factors consistent with the intent of this Part.

(c) In determining the amount of funds an applicant receives, the Secretary and the State task force may consider (i) the number of children to be served, (ii) the number and percentage of children to be served who participate in the subsidized lunch program, (iii) the number and percentage of school‑aged children to be served with two working parents or one single parent, (iv) the availability of other resources or funds, and (v) the amount needed to implement the proposal.

(d) The Secretary shall award the grants. (1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 31(a); 1997‑443, s. 11A.118(a).)