Delegate Virginia Mahan

CHARLESTON - Delegate Virginia Mahan said she is honored to have been appointed to the West Virginia Court Improvement Program Oversight Board – an extension of her work as House Chair of the Legislature’s Select Committee on Children’s Issues.

"I recently met with Supreme Court Chief Justice Robin Davis to discuss various measures being considered by the Legislature's Select Committee on Children's Issues,” Delegate Mahan said. “It was in that conversation that we both agreed that there should be better communication between our respective branches of government, and Justice Davis suggested that the CIP would benefit from some input from lawmakers. I agreed that it would also help in our work as a committee.”

Created in 1995 by the state Supreme Court, the Court Improvement Program is set up to improve the court process for children and families in the child welfare system by creating, identifying and promoting initiatives to ensure safety, permanence, well-being, due process and timely outcomes.

In addition to judges at the family, circuit and supreme court levels, the Oversight Board includes representatives from the state Department of Health and Human Resources, attorneys who specialize in representing children and parents, prosecuting attorneys and child advocates.

“In the end, all branches of government are interested in protecting children in the state's foster care system,” Delegate Mahan noted. “With more cooperation among policymakers, we can do much better. I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to participating in the program."