This bill amends the Code of West Virginia to improve child welfare reporting mechanisms, particularly concerning 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 enhances transparency in child welfare data reporting by updating the existing child welfare data dashboard to include detailed information on child fatalities, near fatalities, and workforce statistics, with monthly public access to this data. The Critical Incident Review Team, which will include members from various state agencies and the legislature, is tasked with analyzing trends and risk factors related to child fatalities and submitting reports to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability. The team is granted access to necessary records while ensuring confidentiality, thereby promoting accountability within the Department of Human Services regarding child welfare cases.

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