Continuity of Operations

• JCPC Operations – GOAL: Protect health and accomplish the required tasks of JCPCs with flexibility to the extent possible within your local context. Provide directives to ensure clear communication from the Department during uncertain times. 

• Shared GOAL: Protect county citizens, employees, and JCPC volunteers, while safely maintaining JCPC actions to ensure safe and continuing local JCPC funded program operations. 

• Local Directives - JCPCs should follow County Commissioners directives for any face to face meetings of their appointed boards; suspension of face to face meetings have already been enacted with modifications being allowed to continue county obligations. 

• Explore JCPC Business Via Electronic Means- The Department advises and encourages JCPC Chairs to:

  • Consult with your county manager for guidance on county emergency operations policies and seek approval to continue meetings means necessary and acceptable in order to support local completion of legislatively mandated planning and funding. 

  • If electronic means are approved, JCPC consultants should work with county partners to conduct JCPC meetings via conference call, WebEx, or Microsoft Teams, to provide closure to outstanding annual duties as prescribed by NC General Statutes § 143B-845-851 

• Note: The Juvenile Community Programs Section has asked Programs to adapt programming practices to continue service delivery—provide telephone and virtual contacts to promote client and family engagement and deliver service interactions if possible within electronic formats. These virtual or telephone “contacts” are to be documented as program contacts. 

Continuity of Funding

• Goal: Consistent disbursement of funds to programs through June 2020 and into FY 2020-21 as Counties complete their funding decisions for 20-21.

  • Expansion funding has been allocated for FY 19-20 and we have legislatively approved amounts for 20-21. 

  • The Department will monitor program revision timelines considering severe adjustments to JCPC local practices due to the emergency. 

  • Discretionary Funds – the Section will offer discretionary funding to support urgent needs for JCPC or program operations, or improved access to web and telephonic means to engage with clients and families. 

  • External Assistance - The Department will provide on-going information related to aid or loan resources being provided due to this national crisis, sharing this information with counties, JCPCs, and programs via email. 

Flexibility and Variances from Policy - The Department recognizes that the current COVID-19 emergency orders will impact all of the state’s local, state and federal operations and will impact the operations that effect the planning and funding cycles related to JCPCs and the programs that they fund.

• Seek assistance from your assigned JCPC Consultant to discuss any questions or concerns you have, and to strategize about ways to: 

  • Complete JCPC County funding recommendations and/or funding award decisions for the FY 2020-21. 

  • Our mission during this crisis is to assist counties with maintaining the continuity of Aid to County funds (JCPC Allocations) to support your Juvenile Justice Prevention and Intervention County Plan.

  • Approve local discretionary funding requests

• Final Accounting – The Department will activate Final Accounting processes on a normal schedule for all programs to ensure that programs and counties can conclude FY 19-20 fiscal accountability tasks. 

• The Department will monitor the COVID-19 emergency and adjust JCPC-related deadlines as necessary.