Resources
The Division of Children & Juvenile Services was created in early 2018 and encompasses the child abuse and neglect, the child welfare and the juvenile justice systems. This work and mission involves all children and youth that intersect with the judicial system. The division strives to braid the three systems into one for study and research. The Division works with the other West Virginia branches of government to study system’s glitches and encourage system’s reforms. This Division houses the Court Improvement Program (CIP) which is funded by grants from the federal Children's Bureau and the Juvenile Justice Commission which was created by the Supreme Court Justices in July 2011.
Child Abuse and Neglect Guardians ad litem Comment Line
Anyone with a complaint, concern or compliment about a guardian ad litem working on a child abuse and neglect case can now call a dedicated phone number or send an email to someone at the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
A staff person in this division will receive and log concerns regarding the work performance of child abuse and neglect guardian ad litem attorneys. This information will be collected and reviewed by Division Director Cindy Largent-Hill, who will address it or make referrals as needed.
No legal advice will be given, and the information reported to the division will be kept in confidence. The phone number is 681-587-9912. The email address is wvgal.can@courtswv.gov
Please join us for the CIP Talks Online PremierE!
The Capacity Building Center for Courts is excited to bring you a new series of engaging, and inspiring recorded talks by nationally recognized child welfare experts. The talks focus on different aspects of the court's role in providing high quality representation and multi-disciplinary support to families, with the goal of preventing removal whenever possible. A new CIP Talk will premiere the first week of each month in 2020 followed by a virtual Q&A with the speaker. The next one is Monday, April 6 at 12:00 PST/3:00 EST and can be found by clicking here.
General Resources
External Links of Interest
Please click on a link below for more information.
- Child Abuse and Neglect Benchbook - A manual and case digest for child abuse and neglect law.
- Training -- Videos and presentation materials for continuing legal education regarding child abuse and neglect law.
- Juvenile Law Guide -- A manual for West Virginia juvenile law and court procedures.
- JANIS -- Juvenile Abuse and Neglect Information System -- A web-based system to faciliate the handling of child abuse and neglect cases by generating case orders and motions.
GAL Resources
Please click on a link below for more information.
- Child Abuse and Neglect Benchbook - A manual and case digest for child abuse and neglect law.
- GAL Forms -- Attorney form to request to be on GAL list.
- Training -- Videos and presentation materials for continuing legal education regarding child abuse and neglect law.
- JANIS -- Juvenile Abuse and Neglect Information System -- A web-based system to faciliate the handling of child abuse and neglect cases by generating case orders and motions.
- Foster Child Bill of Rights Flier
- Foster and Kinship Parent Bill of Rights Flier
