House Bill 2880 aims to amend and reenact sections 49-1-201 and 49-4-405 of the Code of West Virginia to include a definition for "Parent Resource Navigator." This new term refers to an individual established through the Court Improvement Program (CIP) or Public Defender Services (PDS) model, who assists parents in meeting the requirements necessary for reunification with their children. The bill also introduces the Parent Resource Navigator as a member of the multidisciplinary treatment team involved in child abuse and neglect cases, which is responsible for developing comprehensive service plans for affected children and their families.

In addition to the insertion of the new definition, the bill makes a deletion in the membership of the multidisciplinary treatment team by removing a previous item and renumbering the subsequent items. The inclusion of the Parent Resource Navigator is intended to enhance support for parents navigating the complexities of the child welfare system, thereby promoting better outcomes for families involved in these proceedings. Overall, the bill seeks to clarify the role of Parent Resource Navigators and improve the multidisciplinary approach to addressing child abuse and neglect cases.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 49-1-201, 49-4-405