[§352D-2]  Policy for youth.  A policyfor youth is established for the State as follows:

(1)  It shall be the policy of this State toconcentrate on the prevention of delinquency as an important strategy which canbe planned and implemented on behalf of youth and their families.  The Stateshall encourage community involvement in the provision of services for youthincluding, as an integral part, local government, public and private voluntarygroups, public and private nonprofit groups, and private-for-profit groups inorder to encourage and provide innovative strategies for these services.  Tomaximize resources and services to youth in need of services, agencies shalldevelop standards of care, methods to coordinate services, and evaluate andmonitor these activities.  For youth with special needs, the furtherance ofthis policy requires all agencies to recognize that their jurisdiction inmeeting these youths' needs are not mutually exclusive and that they will workjointly under the coordination of the office of youth services;

(2)  When youth at risk or their families requesthelp, state and local government resources shall be utilized to complementcommunity efforts to help meet the needs of youth by aiding in the preventionand resolution of their problems.  The State shall direct its efforts first tostrengthen and encourage family life as the most appropriate environment forthe care and nurturing of youth.  To this end, the State shall assist andencourage families to utilize all available resources.  For youth in need ofservices, the State shall secure those services as are needed to serve theemotional, mental, and physical welfare of youth and the best interests of thecommunity, preferably in the youth's home or in the least restrictive environmentpossible.  When youths must be placed in care away from their homes, the Stateshall ensure that they are protected against any harmful effects resulting fromthe temporary or permanent inability of parents to provide care and protectionfor their youth; and

(3)  This policy for youth shall be implementedthrough the cooperative efforts of state and county legislative, judicial, andexecutive branches, as well as other public and private resources.  Whereresources are limited, services shall be targeted to those youth in greatestneed. [L 1989, c 375, pt of §1]