This bill amends several sections of the Code of West Virginia concerning child welfare, particularly the reporting of child abuse and neglect. It mandates that reports be made immediately to the Bureau for Social Services via a 24-hour hotline or web-based system, ensuring that mandatory reporters are not screened out. Reports of serious abuse must be forwarded to law enforcement, and the Bureau is required to maintain records of these reports for at least 12 months. A new Critical Incident Review Team is established to review child fatalities and near fatalities within the child welfare system, aiming to enhance prevention and intervention strategies.

The bill also improves transparency in child welfare data reporting by updating the existing child welfare data dashboard to include detailed information on child fatalities, workforce statistics, and performance indicators, with monthly updates and public access to data while ensuring confidentiality. It clarifies the access rights of the Foster Care Ombudsman to information related to child abuse and neglect proceedings. The Critical Incident Review Team, which will include various stakeholders, is tasked with analyzing trends and risk factors associated with child fatalities and near fatalities, submitting reports to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability, and maintaining confidentiality in its proceedings.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 49-2-809, 49-5-101, 49-11-101, 61-12B-1, 61-12B-2, 61-12B-3, 61-12B-4, 61-12B-5, 61-12B-6, 61-12B-7