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Governor Robert Bentley on April 12 announced a statewide effort to streamline services to Alabama’s more than 1 million children. Alabama Medicaid, which serves more than 650,000 Alabama children, will be part of this new initiative.

The Alabama Children’s Cabinet, created by Executive Order 17, will serve as an advisory body in formulating policies, encouraging innovation, and discussing issues critical to the needs of Alabama’s children. The Cabinet will align systems of children’s programs and services, creating a unified and cohesive delivery of services through a comprehensive approach.

“Alabama’s children are our future, and we must ensure that their needs are being met just as we do with adults,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “Whether it is education, health care, nutrition programs, or other needs, children need someone to advocate for what is best for them. We have put together a great group of individuals, already working hard on children’s issues, that has the knowledge and experience necessary to improve the lives of the children of Alabama. The Children’s Cabinet will be an important group dedicated to Alabama’s children”

“Children are our future and it is important that we do all we can to help them now so they can grow into healthy and productive adults. I’m very excited about the Governor’s formation of the Children’s Cabinet for I feel it will further our efforts to improve the lives of children in Alabama,” said Commissioner Nancy Buckner, Alabama Department of Human Resources.

The Children’s Cabinet will also work to develop measures of accountability to improve effectiveness in achieving positive outcomes for children and their families. They will work to ensure coherence throughout a child’s development and will create system-wide activities and functions such as data collection, quality assurance and measures of outcomes. The ultimate goal of this group will be to maximize efficiency in the use of resources, reducing duplication and providing a good return on state tax dollars.

“I am pleased to be involved in this special effort to develop a coordinated approach to making thoughtful, responsible decisions for what is best to assure children have the most effective and efficient delivery of the services and resources provided for their education, health and well-being,” said Secretary Jeana Ross, Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education.

The Cabinet will be comprised of the department head or a representative from several existing state agencies including:

• State Department of Education
• Alabama Department of Human Resources
• Alabama Medicaid Agency
• Alabama Department of Public Health
• Alabama Department of Mental Health
• Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education
• Alabama Department of Youth Services,
• Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services
• Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention
• Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs.