PRINTER'S NO. 1328
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 AND SLOCUM,
SEPTEMBER 23, 1999
REFERRED TO AGING AND YOUTH, SEPTEMBER 23, 1999
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Establishing a task force to study issues relating to the
2 Commonwealth's children and youth services delivery system on
3 an ongoing basis and to make recommendations to the General
4 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
18 abuse cases; and
1 WHEREAS, Fulfilling this mission is further complicated by
2 increasing caseloads, which include services to parents and
3 children to enable children to remain in their homes and
4 communities, placement services for children who cannot live
5 with their birth family, adoption services, assistance to
6 provide a permanent legal family for any child who cannot be
7 returned to a birth family and any service or care ordered by
8 the court for children; and
9 WHEREAS, The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
10 recently released the results of a performance audit on children
11 and youth agencies in this Commonwealth which provided a
12 comprehensive review of the children and youth services delivery
13 system and contained recommendations regarding the effectiveness
14 of the operation and management of the system in meeting
15 statutory and regulatory responsibilities for at-risk children
16 and families; and
17 WHEREAS, There is a need for a comprehensive bicameral and
18 bipartisan ongoing review of issues relating to the delivery of
19 children and youth services to ensure that these services meet
20 the needs of at-risk children and families; therefore be it
21 RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
22 General Assembly establish a task force of four members of the
23 Senate and four members of the House of Representatives to
24 undertake an ongoing study of the children and youth services
25 delivery system in this Commonwealth in order to ascertain
26 whether it is meeting the needs of at-risk children and families
27 and, if it is not meeting those needs, to recommend appropriate
28 corrective measures; and be it further
29 RESOLVED, That the President pro tempore of the Senate and
30 the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
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1 Representatives and the Minority Leader of the House of
2 Representatives each appoint two members to the task force; and
3 be it further
4 RESOLVED, That the initial area of task force review be
5 placement services for children who cannot live with their birth
6 family; and be it further
7 RESOLVED, That the task force prioritize other issues dealing
8 with children and youth services and address them accordingly;
9 and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That an advisory committee be created to assist the
11 task force, composed of individuals deemed appropriate by the
12 task force; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission assist
14 the task force and the advisory committee in carrying out the
15 functions of the task force; and be it further
16 RESOLVED, That the task force, from time to time, present its
17 findings and recommended legislation to the General Assembly.
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