PRESS RELEASE
World Youth Served Vice-President, Ray Rene
World Youth Served Vice-President Mr. Ray Rene was selected in March 2014 to represent the state of Georgia for the donation of prizes at a silent auction to take place at the 2014 National Citizen Review Panel Conference (NCRP). The 2014 NCRP will take place in Atlanta, GA on May 19-21 and brings together representatives of the Citizen Review Panel for all US States that are recipients of a state grant under the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). The 3-day summit is a veritable who’s who in the social work industry in the US, and proceeds from the silent auction will support the National Conference Scholarship Fund. Mr. Rene is a member of the CAPTA Citizen Review Panel for the State of Georgia.
All conference activities will take place in downtown Atlanta, GA, with the highlight being keynote speaker Mrs. Naomi Haines Griffith. In addition to the silent auction, these activities will include a welcome reception at THRIVE Restaurant, trips to the Georgia Aquarium and a picnic at Centennial Olympic Park.
As for the silent auction, each state represented was asked by the local organizing community, Care Solutions Inc., to provide a couple of prizes reflective of their state’s culture. Mr. Rene will collaborate with the World Youth Served Executive Committee to put together two to four prizes that will put the Peach State in the most flattering light, with small financial contributions from World Youth Served corporate donors. The auction will take place during the convention.
For more information about the National Citizen Review Panel Conference or the US Congress’ Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), please visit the Georgia Citizen Review Panel website at www.gacrp.com.
About CAPTA and CRP
In 1996, the US Congress amended the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) requiring states to establish Citizen Review Panels to examine the policies, procedures and practices of the state's child welfare system and the extent to which it effectively discharges its child protection responsibilities in accordance with its state plan. These panels help to promote transparency in the child welfare system and provide opportunities for community involvement to ensure that states are meeting their goals to protect children from abuse and neglect. CAPTA, through its state eligibility requirements, has influenced law, policy and practice changes in state child protective services.
As the recipient of a CAPTA state grant, Georgia, was required to establish and maintain a minimum of three citizen review panels. To fulfill this mandate, three existing, statewide committees were designated to serve this role: Child Protective Services Advisory Committee (CPSAC), Children's Justice Act Task Force (CJATF), and Child Fatality Review Panel. Each year, they publish a report on their activities and recommendations for the improvement of Georgia's child protection system.
The CAPTA reauthorization of 1996 established citizen review panels (CRP) as a requirement for all states receiving a CAPTA grant. The purpose of CAPTA citizen review panels is to examine the extent to which states are discharging their child protection obligations by examining the policies, procedures and practices of state and local CPS agencies and providing feedback on the effectiveness of the agency’s child abuse prevention and treatment strategies in producing the desired child and family outcomes. In addition, CRPs are responsible for reviewing state and local CPS agency compliance with the state’s CAPTA plan and any other criteria the panel(s) considers important.
CAPTA reauthorization in 2010 ensures continued collaboration between the state's child welfare agency and its community partners aimed at the improvement of the safety, permanency and well-being of Georgia's children.
