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News From the Coordinating Council
The Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention brings together
representatives from youth-serving federal
agencies and youth-focused disciplines to coordinate
federal programs related to delinquency prevention,
missing and exploited children, and the detention/care
of unaccompanied juveniles. At its July 2003 meeting,
the Council addressed a variety of topics:
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J. Robert Flores, OJJDP Administrator and Council
Vice Chairperson, emphasized the risk that mental
health issues can pose for young people and urged
coordination of federal efforts to weave a safety net
for youth. Dr. Susan Orr of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services presented information
on voluntary relinquishment of custody—situations
in which parents who cannot afford needed mental
health services for a child believe they must relinquish
custody to a public agency so the child can
receive treatment. |
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Joe Connaty of the U.S. Department of Education
described the 21st Century Community Learning
Centers program, which develops afterschool enrichment
opportunities and makes them available to
inner-city and rural communities. As of 2002, the
program was serving 1.2 million children in nearly
1,600 communities. |
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Jeff Slowikowski and Phelan Wyrick of OJJDP
presented an overview of the OJJDP Gang Reduction
Program (see Gang Reduction Program in this issue).
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Council meetings are held quarterly in Washington,
DC, and are open to the public. The next meeting is
scheduled for November 14, 2003. For additional
information, visit the Council's Web site at
ojjdp.ncjrs.org/council/index.html.
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