SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 64
(By Senator Unger)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance direct the
Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources
Accountability study the issue of recruitment and retention of
Child Protective Services' workers in the eastern and northern
panhandles of West Virginia.
Whereas, The mission of Child Protective Services is daunting
but essential to the development of West Virginia's children who
are in need of services offered by Child Protective Services; and
Whereas, Nearly 37 percent of West Virginia's Child Protective
Services' workers have been on the job for less than one year,
creating a tremendous learning curve which leaves a continuous void
in the Child Protective Services program; and
Whereas, At any given time, 20 percent of the Child Protective
Services' workers employed in the State of West Virginia are new to
the program; and
Whereas, One of the primary reasons for lack of tenure among
Child Protective Services' workers is the rapid turnover of
employees due to the absence of a competitive salary for these
individuals as compared to these positions in other states; and
Whereas, This problem is most prominent in the eastern and
northern panhandles of West Virginia where Child Protective Services' workers are hired and trained in West Virginia only to
leave the program for a similar job in an adjoining state at a
higher rate of pay; and
Whereas, A seamless Child Protective Services program would
benefit the children of West Virginia who become involved in the
Child Protective Services program; and
Whereas, A study of recruitment tactics and retention
incentives and alternatives for Child Protective Services' workers
is essential and necessary to offer thorough and complete services
to those West Virginians, particularly in the eastern and northern
panhandles of West Virginia; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby
requested to direct the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health
and Human Resources Accountability study the issue of recruitment
and retention of Child Protective Services' workers in the eastern
and northern panhandles of West Virginia; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Legislative Oversight Commission on
Health and Human Resources Accountability report to the regular
session of the Legislature, 2006, 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 conduct this
study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on
Government and Finance.
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