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The NCPCA National Board announced in October the appointment of Mr. Sidney Johnson as the new Executive Director. He will bring to NCPCA nearly 30 years of professional experience in the area of child and family policy.
“Given his broad network of contacts at the state and national levels, as well as with private grantors, Mr. Johnson will be very well positioned to help NCPCA solidify its working relationships with current partners and supporters, as well as to establish new ones with organizations in all relevant categories,” said Dorothy V. Harris, President of the NCPCA Board. “Under his leadership, we look forward to continuing to create a brighter future for children in all walks of life, in communities across our nation.”
Currently, Mr. Johnson holds the position of Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the American Public Welfare Association (APWA). He will officially assume his new position at NCPCA on January 5, 1998.
Early in his career, Mr. Johnson was a Senior Policy Aide to Senator Walter Mondale, and for five years served as Staff Director of the Senate’s Subcommittee on Children and Youth. It was this subcommittee that held hearings and passed Senator Mondale’s legislation regarding child abuse and neglect. The legislation became law in 1974 as the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.
Upon leaving that post, Mr. Johnson acted as Founder and Director of the Family Impact Seminar, our nation’s first “think tank” devoted to examining the effects of public and private policies on families. Later, Mr. Johnson served as Executive Director of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, which had at that time more than 13,000 members and over 20 state chapters.
In 1986, Mr. Johnson was recruited to the APWA. It is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan association that represents all of the 50 state human service agencies, 800 local welfare departments, and 4,000 individual members.
From 1988 to 1992, Mr. Johnson was a member of the National Commission on Children. And from 1992 to 1996, he served on the Carnegie Corporation’s Task Force on Meeting the Needs of Young Children.
Mr. Johnson currently resides in Washington,
DC and plans to relocate to Chicago by early January.
Ms. Jones is a lieutenant with the Tulsa Police Department and has served on the Oklahoma Committee to Prevent Child Abuse Board of Directors since August, 1993. She has a significant interest and history in working with issues relating to children, families, women, and the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
One of her most memorable achievements was helping to author and lobby for the Oklahoma Child Abuse Prevention Act of 1984, which was passed by the Oklahoma legislature. This act enabled the establishment of the Oklahoma Child Abuse Prevention Fund, the Office of Child Abuse Prevention, the Interagency Child Abuse Prevention Task Force, and seventeen District Child Abuse Prevention Task Forces.
Ms. Jones has brought significant skills,
unique ideas, and incredible energy to the field of child abuse prevention
in areas such as advocacy, programs, policy-making, resource development,
and public awareness. It is the belief of the NCPCA Board of Directors
that Ms. Jones’ passion and commitment to the issue of child abuse and
neglect truly embodies the spirit and dedication of volunteerism modeled
by the founder.
The 1997 Leadership Conference ended on a high note at the Regional Networking Luncheon after three days of workshops and activities. Nearly 200 people attended the conference held last month at the Holiday Inn/Mart Plaza.
The theme of the conference was “Building Chapter Leadership and Diversity.” Workshops included topics such as marketing, cultural diversity, media campaigns, Internet technology, fund raising, and organization strategies.
Presenters included staff from the NCPCA
national office and state chapters, and speakers from family, health, and
education organizations such as the American Red Cross, the University
of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Family Resource Coalition of America.
The NCPCA publication Child Abuse and the Law is designed for social workers as a basic legal primer to help them understand the court system. However, it is also very useful for the general public. The publication provides basic information needed to guide readers through the legal process in a child abuse case. The following is an excerpt; for a free sample copy, please call (312) 663-3520.
Emergency Custody
State Statutes
All states have statutes that allow emergency
custody of abused or neglected children. These statutes differ significantly
from state to state.
Emergency custody without parental consent falls into two categories: without a court order and with a court order. Some states provide for both methods, and some permit only those with a court order.
Because of the great variety in laws, you should research the laws of your own state for the specific situations, if any, when you may remove a child without a police officer or other authorized person. You should also determine what policy is followed by your agency before taking any action in this area, since actions taken contrary to agency policy could lead to legal liabilities.
Emergency Custody without a Court Order
Nearly every state statute names specific
persons who are authorized to remove a child in an emergency situation.
In every state, law enforcement officers are so authorized. Others permitted
to remove a child vary from state to state. In roughly one-half of the
states, child protective service workers or other social service workers
have this authority.
Most statutes require a child to be in danger in order to be removed without a court order. Other statutes require abuse or neglect to be present. There are two common tests specified by statutes.
1) The child is in such conditions or surroundings that his or her welfare requires the immediate assumption of his or her custody by the court. 2) The child is seriously endangered in his or her surroundings and removal is necessary.
Most states have statutes or series of statutes describing precisely what must be done immediately after an emergency removal without a court order in order for the continued custody to be valid. Almost every state that allows emergency custody without a court order prescribes a time period in which a court order must be sought to ratify the removal or allow continued placement of the child. Typically, such court action must commence as soon as possible, usually within 24-72 hours of the child’s removal. Because provisions vary greatly, you should check the relevant state statute and agency rules.
Emergency Custody with a Court Order
In a number of states, the only way to
get emergency custody of an abused or neglected child is with an order
of the court.
Getting the court order. The procedure is similar in every state having this kind of provision, although there may be some local variations.
1) A petition is filed with the juvenile court stating the child is in such circumstances that it is necessary for the court to assume immediate jurisdiction over the child. 2) At the same time as the petition is filed, a summons is usually prepared directing the parent, guardian, or other caretaker to appear in court on a specified day for a hearing on the issue of child abuse or neglect. 3) The summons is presented to the court, at which time the judge decides whether emergency custody is warranted. If it is, the judge writes the emergency custody authorization. 4) The appropriate person takes the summons to the child’s location, presents it to the parent, foster parent, or guardian, and picks up the child.
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