HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1328, 1451 PRINTER'S NO. 1515
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
AS AMENDED, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, NOVEMBER 16, 1999
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish a
2 task force to study issues relating to the Commonwealth's
3 children and youth services delivery system on an ongoing <--
4 basis and to make recommendations to the General Assembly.
5 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth's children and youth services
6 delivery system is a joint responsibility of the Department of
7 Public Welfare and county government; and
8 WHEREAS, Each county is responsible for developing and
9 administering a program of services designed to treat and
10 prevent child abuse, neglect and exploitation; and
11 WHEREAS, It is anticipated that changes will continue to
12 occur in the children and youth services delivery system and in
13 the dynamics of children's issues in the future; and
14 WHEREAS, The mission of children and youth services, to first
15 serve those children most at risk of abuse, neglect and
16 exploitation, is difficult to fulfill because of the severity of
17 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
19990S0097R1515 - 2 -
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 to assist the task force, composed of
14 individuals deemed appropriate by the task force; and be it
15 further
16 RESOLVED, That the task force, from time to time, BUT NOT <--
17 LATER THAN TWO YEARS AFTER THE ENACTMENT OF THIS RESOLUTION,
18 CONCLUDE ITS STUDY AND present its findings and recommended
19 legislation to the General Assembly.
H27L82VDL/19990S0097R1515 - 3 -