(1) There is hereby created the Family Services Forum for Mississippi Children, Youth, and Families. The purpose of the forum shall be:(a) To facilitate collaborative planning and services for children, youth, and families referred to Mississippi youth courts for either child welfare or juvenile justice matters;(b) To improve outcomes for children and families by fostering a community of collaboration between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems; and(c) To serve as a venue for deliberation and consensus building on strategies that will have the greatest impact on well-being, safety, and justice for Mississippi children, youth, and families.
(a) To facilitate collaborative planning and services for children, youth, and families referred to Mississippi youth courts for either child welfare or juvenile justice matters;
(b) To improve outcomes for children and families by fostering a community of collaboration between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems; and
(c) To serve as a venue for deliberation and consensus building on strategies that will have the greatest impact on well-being, safety, and justice for Mississippi children, youth, and families.
(2) The forum shall:(a) Develop and maintain a statewide resource directory/online platform that details available community-based services for youth at risk of child welfare or juvenile justice involvement, including truancy. The resource shall include program type, eligibility, funding source, and referral contacts;(b) Identify and implement strategies to better coordinate and leverage Medicaid, the Family First Prevention Services Act, Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, and other federal and state funding sources to support and pilot evidence-based, community-based alternatives to placement programs for youth at risk of entering foster care or juvenile justice placement;(c) Make recommendations for statutory or rules changes and administrative processes to strengthen cross-system responses for youth involved in the child protection and juvenile justice systems, including identifying evidence-based tools for early identification and referral of youth and families for substance abuse treatment and early identification and referral of youth having contact with both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems;(d) Determine how to maximize federal funding streams, including determining which, if any, state plans need to be amended, which agency plans, if any, need to be amended, and what agreements, if any, need to be entered for cross-agency collaboration and for obtaining high quality independent legal representation;(e) Track services provided and outcomes including, but not limited to, populations served by each service provider, cost for those services, cost comparisons across the range of similar service providers, program outcomes, such as success and failure rates, and a cost-versus-benefit analysis, areas of the state in which services are offered, and community needs as identified by forum members and supported with agency and youth court data;(f) Review anonymized data collected by youth courts and agencies that is related to children, youth, and families referred to Mississippi youth courts;(g) Develop processes for regular data reporting, analysis, and sharing across agencies and courts involved with children, youth, and families referred to Mississippi youth courts; and(h) Address any other issues related to providing services to children, youth, and families referred to Mississippi youth courts.
(a) Develop and maintain a statewide resource directory/online platform that details available community-based services for youth at risk of child welfare or juvenile justice involvement, including truancy. The resource shall include program type, eligibility, funding source, and referral contacts;
(b) Identify and implement strategies to better coordinate and leverage Medicaid, the Family First Prevention Services Act, Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, and other federal and state funding sources to support and pilot evidence-based, community-based alternatives to placement programs for youth at risk of entering foster care or juvenile justice placement;
(c) Make recommendations for statutory or rules changes and administrative processes to strengthen cross-system responses for youth involved in the child protection and juvenile justice systems, including identifying evidence-based tools for early identification and referral of youth and families for substance abuse treatment and early identification and referral of youth having contact with both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems;
(d) Determine how to maximize federal funding streams, including determining which, if any, state plans need to be amended, which agency plans, if any, need to be amended, and what agreements, if any, need to be entered for cross-agency collaboration and for obtaining high quality independent legal representation;
(e) Track services provided and outcomes including, but not limited to, populations served by each service provider, cost for those services, cost comparisons across the range of similar service providers, program outcomes, such as success and failure rates, and a cost-versus-benefit analysis, areas of the state in which services are offered, and community needs as identified by forum members and supported with agency and youth court data;
(f) Review anonymized data collected by youth courts and agencies that is related to children, youth, and families referred to Mississippi youth courts;
(g) Develop processes for regular data reporting, analysis, and sharing across agencies and courts involved with children, youth, and families referred to Mississippi youth courts; and
(h) Address any other issues related to providing services to children, youth, and families referred to Mississippi youth courts.
(3) The forum shall consist of the following members:(a) One (1) chancery court judge, to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court;(b) One (1) circuit court judge who presides over an adult intervention court, to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court;(c) One (1) youth court judge who presides over a juvenile intervention court, to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court;(d) One (1) county court judge who presides over youth court, to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court;(e) One (1) member of the Mississippi House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House;(f) One (1) member of the Mississippi Senate to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;(g) The directors of the following state agencies or entities, or their designees, and two (2) principal employees familiar with federal funding streams, other than the director or commissioner of each agency or entity:(i) The Mississippi Department of Human Services;(ii) The Mississippi Department of Health;(iii) The Mississippi Department of Mental Health;(iv) The Mississippi Department of Public Safety;(v) The Mississippi Department of Education;(vi) The Division of Medicaid;(vii) The Administrative Office of Courts;(viii) The Office of the Attorney General;(ix) The Office of the State Public Defender;(x) The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services;(xi) The Mississippi Home Corporation; and(h) The director or designee of the Governor’s Office of Federal-State Programs.
(a) One (1) chancery court judge, to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court;
(b) One (1) circuit court judge who presides over an adult intervention court, to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court;
(c) One (1) youth court judge who presides over a juvenile intervention court, to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court;
(d) One (1) county court judge who presides over youth court, to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court;
(e) One (1) member of the Mississippi House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House;
(f) One (1) member of the Mississippi Senate to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;
(g) The directors of the following state agencies or entities, or their designees, and two (2) principal employees familiar with federal funding streams, other than the director or commissioner of each agency or entity:(i) The Mississippi Department of Human Services;(ii) The Mississippi Department of Health;(iii) The Mississippi Department of Mental Health;(iv) The Mississippi Department of Public Safety;(v) The Mississippi Department of Education;(vi) The Division of Medicaid;(vii) The Administrative Office of Courts;(viii) The Office of the Attorney General;(ix) The Office of the State Public Defender;(x) The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services;(xi) The Mississippi Home Corporation; and
(i) The Mississippi Department of Human Services;
(ii) The Mississippi Department of Health;
(iii) The Mississippi Department of Mental Health;
(iv) The Mississippi Department of Public Safety;
(v) The Mississippi Department of Education;
(vi) The Division of Medicaid;
(vii) The Administrative Office of Courts;
(viii) The Office of the Attorney General;
(ix) The Office of the State Public Defender;
(x) The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services;
(xi) The Mississippi Home Corporation; and
(h) The director or designee of the Governor’s Office of Federal-State Programs.
(4) The members shall be appointed within fifteen (15) days of July 17, 2026, and shall serve until the end of their respective terms of office, if applicable, or until October 1, 2030, whichever occurs first. Vacancies shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment. Members shall be eligible for reappointment as long as, upon such reappointment, they meet the qualifications required of a new appointee.
(5) The forum must meet within sixty (60) days of July 17, 2026 upon call of the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court. At its first meeting, the forum may elect any officers from among its membership as it deems necessary for the efficient discharge of its duties.
(6) The forum shall adopt rules and regulations governing times and places for meetings and governing the manner of conducting its business. Twenty-three (23) or more members shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting any business of the forum. A vote of not less than twenty-six (26) members shall be required for any recommendations to the Legislature.
(7) Members shall serve without compensation, except that state and county employees and officers shall receive any per diem as authorized by law from appropriations available to their respective agencies or political subdivisions. All members shall be entitled to receive reimbursement for any actual and reasonable expenses incurred as a necessary incident to service on the forum, including mileage as provided by law subject to appropriation by the Legislature.
(8) Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, the forum may employ any consultants it deems necessary, including consultants to compile any demographic data needed to accomplish the duties of the forum.
(9) The Administrative Office of Courts will provide the support staff necessary for the forum in the performance of its duties.
(10) The forum may:(a) Contract for suitable office space in accordance with the provisions of Section 29-5-2, Mississippi Code of 1972;(b) Utilize, with their consent, the services, equipment, personnel, information and resources of other state agencies;(c) Accept voluntary and uncompensated services, contract with individuals, public and private agencies; and(d) Request information, reports and data from any agency of the state, or any of its political subdivisions, to the extent authorized by law.
(a) Contract for suitable office space in accordance with the provisions of Section 29-5-2, Mississippi Code of 1972;
(b) Utilize, with their consent, the services, equipment, personnel, information and resources of other state agencies;
(c) Accept voluntary and uncompensated services, contract with individuals, public and private agencies; and
(d) Request information, reports and data from any agency of the state, or any of its political subdivisions, to the extent authorized by law.
(11) In order to conduct and carry out its purposes, duties, and related activities as provided for in this section, the forum is authorized to apply for and accept gifts, grants, subsidies, and other funds from persons, corporations, foundations, the United States government or other entities, provided that the receipt of such gifts, grants, subsidies, and funds shall be reported and otherwise accounted for in the manner provided by law.
(12) The forum shall report annually to the Legislature, addressing all matters set out in subsection (2) of this section. The report under this section shall be filed no later than December 15 each year.