§ 2-1525. Responsibilities.

The governing board shall:

(a)

Immediately after the members are appointed, including the seven (7) members appointed by the Governor, elect a chair and a vice chair from among its members and elect other officers as deemed necessary by The Trust. An interim chair, vice-chair and other officers may be elected to serve until such time as the seven (7) members appointed by the Governor have been selected.

(b)

Immediately but within a year of the effective date of this article, after the members are appointed and officers elected, identify and assess the needs of the children in the county and submit to the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners a written description of:

(1)

The activities, services and opportunities that will be provided to children;

(2)

The anticipated schedule for providing those activities, services and opportunities;

(3)

The manner in which children will be served, including a description of arrangements and agreements to be made with community organizations, state and local educational agencies, federal agencies, public assistance agencies, the juvenile courts, foster care agencies, and other applicable public and private agencies and organizations;

(4)

The special outreach efforts to be undertaken to provide prevention services to children at-risk of abuse and neglect;

(5)

The manner in which the Trust will seek and provide funding for unmet needs; and

(6)

The strategy to be used for interagency coordination to maximize existing human and fiscal resources;

(c)

Provide training and orientation to all new members sufficient to allow them to perform their duties;

(d)

Make and adopt bylaws and rules and regulations for The Trust's guidance, operation, governance and maintenance, provided such rules and regulations are consistent with federal or state laws or county ordinances;

(e)

Provide an annual written report, to be presented no later than January 1 of each year, to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. The annual report shall contain, but not be limited to, the following information:

(1)

Information on the effectiveness of activities, services, and programs offered by The Trust, including cost effectiveness;

(2)

A detailed anticipated budget for continuation of activities, services and programs offered by The Trust, and a list of all sources of requested funding, both public and private;

(3)

Procedures used for early identification of at-risk children who need additional or continued services and methods for ensuring that the additional or continued services are received;

(4)

A description of the degree to which The Trust's objectives and activities are consistent with the goals of Section 125.901 of the Florida Statutes;

(5)

Detailed information on the various programs, services and activities available to participants and the degree to which the programs, services and activities have been successfully used by children; and

(6)

Information on programs, services and activities that should be eliminated, programs, services and activities that should be continued, and programs, services and activities that should be added to the basic format of The Children's Trust;

(f)

Maintain minutes of each meeting, including a record of all votes cast, and shall make such minutes available to any interested person; and

(g)

Comply with any other responsibilities as may from time to time be added s. 125.901 of the Florida Statutes.

(Ord. No. 02-247, § 5, 12-3-02)