Vol. 8, No. 1• November 2003

In Brief: North Carolina's Multiple Response System

What Is MRS?
It is the Multiple Response System, an effort to make child welfare services in North Carolina more family-centered, consistent, and effective. In MRS, county DSS’s focus on these key strategies:

The Seven Strategies of MRS

  1. Strengths-based, structured intake process
  2. Choice of two approaches to reports of child abuse, neglect, or dependency
  3. Coordination between law enforcement agencies and child protective services for the investigative assessment approach
  4. Redesign of in-home family services
  5. Child and family team meetings*
  6. Shared parenting meetings*
  7. Collaboration between Work First and child welfare programs

    *Involve foster parents most directly

The 51 MRS Counties

Since August 2002:
Alamance, Bladen, Buncombe, Caldwell, Craven, Franklin, Guilford, Mecklenburg, Nash, and Transylvania

Since September 2003:
Alexander, Ashe, Brunswick, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Currituck, Davidson, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Gates, Graham, Halifax, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Martin, Moore, New Hanover, Orange, Pasquotank, Person, Polk, Scotland, Swain, Union, Wake, Warren, Watauga, Wilson, Yancey

Not yet part of MRS:
All other counties. MRS will be the standard in child welfare in all counties in 2005.

To access a map of North Carolina depicting the MRS counties as of October 24, 2003, click here.

To Learn More, Look Online
<http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/dss/childrensservices/mrs/index.htm>

Copyright 2003 Jordan Institute for Families