--- title: HR 308. Multi-Agency Alliance for Children; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr308 cite_as: HR 308, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr308 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr308.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr308/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70533 date: 2025-02-19 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr307.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr309.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr308.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 308 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-19 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Carmen Rice - Mandi Ballinger - Katie Dempsey - Debbie Buckner - Rick Townsend - Devan Seabaugh text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR308/2025 upstream_id: 1976261 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - child welfare - foster care - nonprofit recognition - youth services --- # HR 308. Multi-Agency Alliance for Children; commend ## Text House Resolution 308 By: Representatives Rice of the 139th, Ballinger of the 23rd, Dempsey of the 13th, Buckner of the 137th, Townsend of the 179th, and others A RESOLUTION Honoring and commending the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children is a nonprofit entity that was founded in Atlanta in 1996 by a group of nonprofit agencies serving at-risk children involved in the child welfare system; and WHEREAS, the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children is often called "MAAC"; and WHEREAS, MAAC coordinates people, resources, information, and a network of quality providers to create positive outcomes for vulnerable youth and families; and WHEREAS, MAAC utilizes a seamless continuum of services and care in addressing the unique needs of each child, adolescent, and family, including behavioral health services and services that are trauma responsive and reflective of adolescent brain development, individualizing treatment and care and reducing the number of placements of children and youth in various out-of-home care settings while working towards ending duplication of services; and WHEREAS, MAAC focuses its work on filling service gaps, building innovative solutions within the child welfare system, collaborating with partner agencies, and focusing on providing care coordination and other services that emphasize youth voice and choice; and WHEREAS, MAAC and its members provide a variety of services to these children, adolescents, and families, including residential care through its child caring institutions, crisis continuum, specialized family foster care through child placing agencies, group homes, education success support, workforce development and career training, life skills training, and intensive psychiatric care; and WHEREAS, MAAC serves youth throughout Georgia with a permanency-focused, collaborative, team-based approach through its Network Collaborative and high-fidelity wraparound PACT/Thrive Program while providing young adults who have experienced foster care with individualized development and skills in core areas, including leadership through Georgia EmpowerMEnt, financial education and savings support through Opportunity Passport® Matched Savings, career and employee development through Workforce Development, young parenting skills through Teen Parent Connection, and educational support through LEADS; and WHEREAS, MAAC has achieved Council on Accreditation recognition, is a Sanctuary Certified Organization, and each of its member entities and affiliates utilizes national best practices and is accredited by a national accreditation body; and WHEREAS, MAAC's current provider member entities are Creative Community Services Inc., Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Georgia, Georgia Baptist Children's Homes and Family Ministries Inc., Elks Aidmore, Goshen Valley, Hillside Inc., The Methodist Home, Twin Cedars Youth and Family Services, and Youth Villages; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this distinguished organization, including its member entities and affiliates, be appropriately recognized for the care it provides to Georgians. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body honor and commend the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children and its member entities and affiliates for their tireless, efficient, effective, unselfish, and dedicated public service to the children, adolescents, and families of this state. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution honors the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children, an Atlanta based nonprofit network that coordinates child welfare services across the state, for its work with at-risk youth and families. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It recognizes the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children (MAAC), a nonprofit founded in Atlanta in 1996 by agencies serving at-risk children in the child welfare system. The resolution describes MAAC's work coordinating providers, resources, and services for vulnerable youth and families, including residential care, foster care placement, education support, workforce training, and psychiatric care. It notes MAAC's accreditation status and lists its current member organizations. The House resolves to formally honor and commend MAAC and directs the Clerk of the House to provide a copy of the resolution to the organization. ### What it does - Formally honors and commends the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children and its member entities for their service to Georgia children and families. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to MAAC. - Does not create any new law, funding, program, or regulatory requirement; it is a symbolic statement of recognition. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children and its member entities, including Creative Community Services, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Georgia, Georgia Baptist Children's Homes, Elks Aidmore, Goshen Valley, Hillside, The Methodist Home, Twin Cedars Youth and Family Services, and Youth Villages, along with the at-risk children and families they serve. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or funding effect but serves as an official public acknowledgment from the Georgia House of Representatives of an organization's work in the child welfare system, which can raise its public profile and recognize its role serving vulnerable youth statewide. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe MAAC's founding in 1996, its mission, its services, and its accreditation status, providing background rather than legal effect. - The resolving clause formally honors and commends MAAC and its member entities for their service to children, adolescents, and families in Georgia. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to MAAC. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-19) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-19) - Sponsors: Carmen Rice, Mandi Ballinger, Katie Dempsey, Debbie Buckner, Rick Townsend, Devan Seabaugh - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70533 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr308.md?full=1