PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1328 PRINTER'S NO. 1451
No. 97 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY DENT, O'PAKE, JUBELIRER, CONTI, EARLL, COSTA,
STAPLETON, MOWERY, WHITE, SALVATORE, TARTAGLIONE, BELL,
GERLACH, WAUGH, SCHWARTZ, MELLOW, HART, BOSCOLA, SLOCUM AND
KASUNIC, SEPTEMBER 23, 1999
AMENDED, OCTOBER 26, 1999
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Establishing DIRECTING THE JOINT STATE GOVERNMENT COMMISSION TO <--
2 ESTABLISH a task force to study issues relating to the
3 Commonwealth's children and youth services delivery system on
4 an ongoing basis and to make recommendations to the General
5 Assembly.
6 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth's children and youth services
7 delivery system is a joint responsibility of the Department of
8 Public Welfare and county government; and
9 WHEREAS, Each county is responsible for developing and
10 administering a program of services designed to treat and
11 prevent child abuse, neglect and exploitation; and
12 WHEREAS, It is anticipated that changes will continue to
13 occur in the children and youth services delivery system and in
14 the dynamics of children's issues in the future; and
15 WHEREAS, The mission of children and youth services, to first
16 serve those children most at risk of abuse, neglect and
17 exploitation, is difficult to fulfill because of the severity of
18 child abuse cases and the escalating incidence of child sexual
1 abuse cases; and
2 WHEREAS, Fulfilling this mission is further complicated by
3 increasing caseloads, which include services to parents and
4 children to enable children to remain in their homes and
5 communities, placement services for children who cannot live
6 with their birth family, adoption services, assistance to
7 provide a permanent legal family for any child who cannot be
8 returned to a birth family and any service or care ordered by
9 the court for children; and
10 WHEREAS, The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
11 recently released the results of a performance audit on children
12 and youth agencies in this Commonwealth which provided a
13 comprehensive review of the children and youth services delivery
14 system and contained recommendations regarding the effectiveness
15 of the operation and management of the system in meeting
16 statutory and regulatory responsibilities for at-risk children
17 and families; and
18 WHEREAS, There is a need for a comprehensive bicameral and
19 bipartisan ongoing review of issues relating to the delivery of
20 children and youth services to ensure that these services meet
21 the needs of at-risk children and families; therefore be it
22 RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
23 General Assembly DIRECT THE JOINT STATE GOVERNMENT COMMISSION TO <--
24 establish a task force of four members of the Senate and four
25 members of the House of Representatives to undertake an ongoing
26 study of the children and youth services delivery system in this
27 Commonwealth in order to ascertain whether it is meeting the
28 needs of at-risk children and families and, if it is not meeting
29 those needs, to recommend appropriate corrective measures; and
30 be it further
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1 RESOLVED, That the President pro tempore of the Senate and
2 the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
3 Representatives and the Minority Leader of the House of
4 Representatives each appoint two members to the task force; and
5 be it further
6 RESOLVED, That the initial area of task force review be
7 placement services for children who cannot live with their birth
8 family; and be it further
9 RESOLVED, That the task force prioritize other issues dealing
10 with children and youth services and address them accordingly;
11 and be it further
12 RESOLVED, That THE TASK FORCE IS AUTHORIZED TO CREATE an <--
13 advisory committee be created to assist the task force, composed <--
14 of individuals deemed appropriate by the task force; and be it
15 further
16 RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission assist <--
17 the task force and the advisory committee in carrying out the
18 functions of the task force; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That the task force, from time to time, present its
20 findings and recommended legislation to the General Assembly.
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