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North Carolina Passes Raise the Age Legislation
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As we reported last month, the State budget contained a provision to raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction. With the passing of the budget in June,
North Carolina is no longer the only state to treat 16- and 17-year-olds as adults for all crimes. Raise the Age is a Reality!
The final bill is not all we hoped for but, that said, the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act is a real step forward for our NC juvenile court system. And It does more than simply raise the age.
Read more at our web site
on some of the other impacts this legislation will have.
We want to express thanks to all of you who called, emailed, shared, tweeted, texted, etc. Your persistence kept this issue at the forefront of budget negotiations and because of your efforts our communities will be safer and our youth will have a chance at a better, more successful future.
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"Council for Children's Rights is grateful to the General Assembly for recognizing that justice for 16- and 17-year-olds is better served in Juvenile Court. This change makes North Carolina smart on crime: It will assure not only better futures for the youth of our community but also greater public safety and prosperity. As the public defender for children in Juvenile Court, we look forward to working with the courts and the other participants in the juvenile justice system to expand our capacity to serve our community's youth."
CFCR Statement on the Inclusion of Raise the Age in Final State Budget
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Council Elects John Fagg as Board President
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Council for Children's Rights is pleased to announce the election of
John A. Fagg, Jr.
as president of the Council's Board of Directors for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Fagg, an attorney with
Moore & Van Allen, PLLC,
will serve an 12-month term which began July 1, 2017.
"John has immersed himself in service to our community's children as CFCR's President-elect, Chair of the Board Governance Committee, and an active member of the Finance Committee, the Fund Development Committee, and the Policy Committee," said Bob Simmons, CFCR executive director, "so he enters his term as President with a deep understanding of the needs of the children we serve and a strong commitment to assuring the execution of our mission to achieve our vision. This is serious work that John approaches with humility and a sense of humor, inspiring the board and the staff to pull together eagerly and with great optimism for what we can accomplish."
READ MORE HERE
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Summer Share Hopes to "Give Need A Vacay"
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Summer is a time when, for many of us, life slows down. But for others of our neighbors, need doesn't take a vacation. That's why ShareCharlotte has once again organized SummerShareCLT, a 10-day campaign to help raise awareness of those needs and to offer people creative and alternative ways of giving. And we're half-way through the campaign!
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There's still time to participate and help #GiveNeedAVacation. Visit their
Summer Share site t
o learn more about the needs of the community, find out about all the fun events planned and get some ideas on how you can participate. Or click on the
donate button
to support the Council today! Thank you.
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Carolyn Brown Retires After 30 Years of Service
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It was supposed to be a temporary job - just filling in for a couple of weeks at what was then Council for Children. But that two-week temp job turned into a decades long career for the Council's Director of Administration, Carolyn Brown.
What happened? "I fell in love with what they did," says Brown, who retired at the end of June after 30 years continuous service with Council for Children's Rights. "I listened to them talk about their cases with such passion, treating every kid as different and unique. I just loved watching these people in action," she says with a big grin. "What kept me wanting to be a part of it is that the torch that every single person carried seemed to have the same flame and was lit with the human spirit of kindness."
To celebrate Carolyn's retirement and to thank her for her dedicated service to the Council, over 120 friends, staff, volunteers, and former colleagues gathered at the Children & Family Services Center for a farewell reception on June 29.
Former board member Barbara Spradling, who has known Carolyn since her earliest days at the Council, spoke of the effect Carolyn has had on so many over the years. "..The one word [that] describes Carolyn best for me is 'bright.' Yes, she is really smart but mostly she is the 'sun kind' of bright that is warm and makes you happy.....She gives me, and gives us all, the incredible gift of herself."
Read More about Carolyn and view photos at gallery here
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Giving Back Podcast Features Bob Simmons
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The mission and work of Council for Children's Rights are featured in July on the
Giving Back Podcast.
Among the topics examined are the needs and challenges of children in foster care. Bob Simmons makes his podcast debut, offering his insights on the subject, providing an overview of the work of the Council, and sharing something of his personal story of involvement and commitment that led him to leave a 30+ year career in commercial real estate to join the Council in 2015 as executive director. Grab a cool beverage, sit back, and
listen to the podcast here.
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Council Releases 2017 State of Mecklenburg's Children Report
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Did you know that in 2015, 16.8% of high school students reported being bullied on school property? Or that 32.3% of families living in poverty are headed by single mothers?
Council for Children's Rights' released its latest report on the
State of Mecklenburg's Children
this month. The report is compiled by the Council's Research and Policy team using data from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, American Community Survey and a number of other sources.
Updated semi-annually, the report provides a visual snapshot of a number of key data points for the children in the county.
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Council and Char-Meck Library Host Community Bookshelf
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Library Director Dave Singleton shares remarks |
At the end of June, CFCR and the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library hosted a breakfast reception
to launch a new community bookshelf established on the 8th floor of the Mecklenburg County Courthouse.
The Library's Community Bookshelf program provides a literacy-rich environment beyond traditional library locations. Bringing a bookshelf to the Courthouse was the idea of staff attorneys from Council for Children's Rights, who saw the need and believed that families and youth coming to court would benefit from a library program.
In addition to regularly stocking the shelves with books and resource materials, Library staff and Council volunteers will host programs to help teens and families while they are in the courthouse
. Unlike a library, those who take out books from the bookshelf are not borrowing the books, they can keep them! Read more about the program and how you can help here.
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| First Wednesdays Workshop Series Begin September 6 |
Training Room 1 - Children & Family Services Center
This workshop will provide concrete strategies you can use to build good relationships with school staff, establish consistent routines for your child, and stay on top of your child's progress. Free, but reservations requested.
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