108A-14. Duties and responsibilities.

(a) The director of social services shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

(1) To serve as executive officer of the board of social services and act as its secretary;

(2) To appoint necessary personnel of the county department of social services in accordance with the merit system rules of the North Carolina Human Resources Commission;

(3) To administer the programs of public assistance and social services established by this Chapter under pertinent rules and regulations;

(4) To administer funds provided by the board of commissioners for the care of indigent persons in the county under policies approved by the county board of social services;

(5) To act as agent of the Social Services Commission and Department of Health and Human Services in relation to work required by the Social Services Commission and Department of Health and Human Services in the county;

(6) To investigate cases for adoption and to supervise adoptive placements;

(7) To issue employment certificates to children under the regulations of the State Department of Labor;

(8) To supervise adult care homes under the rules and regulations of the Medical Care Commission;

(9) To assist and cooperate with the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety and their representatives;

(10) Repealed by Session Laws 2003-13, s. 7, effective April 17, 2003, and applicable to all petitions for sterilization pending and orders authorizing sterilization that have not been executed as of April 17, 2003.

(11) To assess reports of child abuse and neglect and to take appropriate action to protect such children pursuant to the Child Abuse Reporting Law, Article 3 of Chapter 7B of the General Statutes;

(12) To accept children for placement in foster homes and to supervise placements for so long as such children require foster home care;

(13) To respond by investigation to notification of a proposed adoptive placement pursuant to G.S. 48-3(b) and (c); and

(14) To receive and evaluate reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of disabled adults and to take appropriate action as required by the Protection of the Abused, Neglected, or Exploited Disabled Adults Act, Article 6 of this Chapter, to protect these adults.

(15) To receive and evaluate reports of financial exploitation of disabled adults, to investigate credible reports of financial exploitation under Article 6A of this Chapter, and to take appropriate action to protect these adults.

(b) The director may delegate to one or more members of his staff the authority to act as his representative. The director may limit the delegated authority of his representative to specific tasks or areas of expertise. The director may designate, subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Labor, additional personnel outside his staff to issue youth employment certificates.