(a) Children are our future;

(b) Healthy children and families are of fundamental importance to the vitality of Oregon;

(c) Children are entitled to safety and health;

(d) All children deserve love, respect and guidelines for responsible behavior;

(e) Families should be supported and strengthened;

(f) Communities provide the context for healthy children and families, and strong families and healthy communities are interdependent; and

(g) Economic opportunity and social cohesion are essential for healthy communities.

(2) The Legislative Assembly recognizes that demands on families, created in part by changes in family structures and relationships, intensify the need for Oregon to support children and families toward the goals of family stability and broader access for children, youth and families to:

(a) The best possible physical and mental health;

(b) Adequate food and safe physical shelter;

(c) A safe and healthy environment;

(d) The highest quality child care;

(e) The highest quality of educational opportunity;

(f) Quality education;

(g) Effective training, apprenticeship and productive employment;

(h) A range of civic, cultural, educational, family support and positive youth development programs and activities that promote self-esteem, involvement and a sense of community;

(i) Community services that are efficient, coordinated and readily available; and

(j) Genuine participation in decisions concerning the planning and managing of their lives and respect for such decisions.

(3) In the interest of ensuring coordination of all children and family services and education programs provided by or funded by the state and the effective use of state resources, the state shall:

(a) Develop a plan for appropriating adequate funds;

(b) Develop a cooperative partnership among state agencies that serve children, youth and families;

(c) Establish state priorities; develop and implement service standards that reflect a balanced and comprehensive range of services for all children, youth and families; monitor and evaluate services and ensure accessibility of services for all children, youth and families; and

(d) Actively seek the advice of local governmental jurisdictions, providers of services, educators, the private business sector, citizens and youth in effecting this subsection.

(4) The Legislative Assembly finds that, in order to fulfill the purposes of this section, service delivery systems for children and families shall include:

(a) Cooperative partnerships among state agencies that serve children, youth and families;

(b) Methods of accountability to measure effectiveness of state-funded programs; and

(c) Use of public resources for programs and services that move the state toward meeting the goals described in subsection (2) of this section. [1989 c.834 §3; 1991 c.715 §1; 1999 c.1053 §2; 2001 c.182 §1; 2001 c.831 §10a; 2003 c.293 §1]