HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8
(By Delegates Long, Spencer, Talbott, Barker, Hunt,
Marshall and Overington)
Requesting that the Joint Committee on Government and Finance
continue the Legislative Task Force on Juvenile Foster Care,
Detention and Placement as the Juvenile Task Force.
Whereas, There are currently 3,000 West Virginia children
placed outside of their homes in foster care with more than 400
West Virginia children in out-of-state placements and 300 more in
facilities operated by the Division of Juvenile Services; and
Whereas, The State's Child Protective Services Program is under
federal mandate to make improvements and is at serious risk of
substantial financial penalties for failure to improve children's
safety, permanency and well-being in the child welfare system; and
Whereas, The Division of Juvenile Services has, through
renovation and new construction, acquired more than two hundred new
beds in six facilities over the last four years; and
Whereas, There are on-going and continuing efforts involving
State agencies, families and private providers to address these and
other vital issues affecting our State's children; and
Whereas, There are considerable human and financial resources
invested in the State's child-serving systems; and
Whereas, The existing Legislative Task Force on Juvenile
Foster Care, Detention and Placement is the only legislative body that deals exclusively with matters relating to child welfare and
juvenile justice; and
Whereas, There is an acute and urgent need for on-going
legislative oversight of these matters; and
Whereas, Legislative members could benefit from the shared
knowledge of additional nonvoting citizen members chosen for their
particular backgrounds and expertise; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby
requested to continue the Legislative Task Force on Juvenile Foster
Care, Detention and Placement as the Juvenile Task Force, to
conduct on-going oversight of the State's child welfare and
juvenile justice systems and that to increase it's membership by
adding two nonvoting citizen members, chosen for their particular
backgrounds or expertise, one to be chosen by the Speaker of the
House of Delegates and the other by the President of the Senate,
with the same right of
per diem reimbursement of expenses as
legislators are entitled to; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Task Force report to the Joint
Committee on Government and Finance on its findings, conclusions
and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation
necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to carry out its
duties, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be
paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
This resolution is recommended for adoption in the 2005
Regular Session by the Legislative Task Force on Juvenile Foster
Care, Detention and Placement.
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