EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 17

WHEREAS, more than 1.1 million children and teenagers live in Alabama;

WHEREAS, the children of Alabama are the future of the state and every effort should be made to improve their lives and well-being;

WHEREAS, various state agencies provide extensive services to and for our children, including public education, nutrition programs, health care coverage, immunizations and day care;

WHEREAS, state resources are limited and increased coordination and planning among agency leaders is necessary to reduce duplication and efficiently address the needs of our children and their families.

NOW, THEREFORE, based upon these considerations, and for other good and valid reasons related thereto, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of the State of Alabama, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the State of Alabama, do hereby establish the Alabama Children’s Cabinet (“Cabinet”) to advise the Governor on issues related to Alabama’s children. The Cabinet shall include the following members, or their designees:

• Governor, State of Alabama, Chair
• State Superintendent, Alabama State Department of Education
• Commissioner, Alabama Department of Human Resources
• Commissioner, Alabama Medicaid Agency
• State Health Officer, Alabama Department of Public Health
• Commissioner, Alabama Department of Mental Health
• Secretary, Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education
• Executive Director, Alabama Department of Youth Services
• Commissioner, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services
• Executive Director, Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention
• Director, Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs
• Additional appointments as the Governor deems necessary.

Each member of the Cabinet shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

BE IT ORDERED, that the Cabinet shall collaborate and coordinate on issues relating to Alabama’s children, to connect and align systems of children’s programs and services, creating a unified, cohesive and cross-system delivery of services through a comprehensive approach. Specific duties include, but are not limited to:

• Educating the member agencies on the duties of each member agency so that agency functions are known and understood at the policy and practice levels
• Developing measures of accountability for improved effectiveness in achieving positive child and family outcomes
• Ensuring consistency across developmental stages for all children in order to enhance system-wide activities and functions such as data collection and analysis, quality assurance, and cross-collaboration between the appropriate agencies
• Ensuring sustainability for successful programs over time
• Maximizing efficiency in the utilization of resources, reducing duplication and providing a just return on tax dollars

BE IT FURTHER ORDERED, that the Cabinet shall meet at the call of the chair, or his designee, and shall adopt rules governing the manner of conducting its business. The Cabinet and any committee of the Cabinet may meet by teleconference. All Cabinet members shall serve without additional compensation.

BE IT FURTHER ORDERED, that this Executive Order shall become effective immediately upon signing and shall remain in force until such time it is modified or rescinded by the Governor.

DONE AND ORDERED this 12th day of April, 2016.

Robert Bentley
Governor

ATTEST:

John H. Merrill
Secretary of State