ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION OF TWO PUBLIC AGENCIES IN RHODE ISLAND Introduction This research presents organizational descriptions of two
public agencies in the State of Rhode Island. These agencies are
the Department of Children and Family Welfare of the State of
Rhode Island, and the Indian Council of Rhode Island.
The Department of Children and Family
Welfare of the State of Rhode Island The organizational description of the Department of Children
and Family Welfare of the State of Rhode Island in presented in
the contexts of (1) organizational history, (2) organizational
purposes, (3) major client populations of the organization, (4)
the level of government responsible for the organization, (5) the
system for the delivery of the organization's services to client
groups, and (6) the identification of an advocacy group concerned
with the organization's client population.
The Department of Children and Family Welfare was
established in the early years of this century. Over the
successive decades, the mandate of the department has been
expanded. The rising level of immigrants to the State of Rhode
Island, the increasing degeneration of the integrity of families
in the state, and a deteriorating economy have all increased the
responsibilities of the Department of Children and Family
One of the most significant changes affecting the Department
of Children and Family Welfare in the contemporary period is the
approach to agency accountability. In the past, public
P8 à4 Šadministrators at the Department of Children and Family Welfare
have often been able to circumvent the intent of elected
officials through the ways in which they implemented programs.
In the contemporary public service environment, public
administrators at the Department of ...