A new educational video explains the abuse and neglect procedure – Daily News West Virginia Daily News

Charleston, W.VA. (WVDN) – The Supreme Court of Appeal of West Virginia today released a new educational video designed to outline and explain the process, followed by cases of violence and neglect of children.

Like the process itself, the video emphasizes the need to protect children and provides them with a safe environment, while providing parents with information on how to work for a potential purpose to join their families, if possible.

“Cases of violence and neglect of children are the most critical and important cases we deal with in the legal system,” said the Chief Judge Bill Waton. “They can also be the most complex and emotionally fulfilled cases, so it is important to clearly explain and train people for this important process and the goals that are intended to achieve.”

The video explains step by step what happens when a parent is accused of violence and neglecting children. It emphasizes the need to protect children and provide them with a safe environment, while explaining the processes that can allow the parent to regain custody of their child, provided for them.

The video has been manufactured in the last year, using grants provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

“Child protection is the highest priority of our judiciary,” said Supreme Court Justice Tim Armsted, who performed as the chief judge of the court during much of the video production.

“We know that – if they are safe – children are the happiest in their own homes,” said Armsted. “Unfortunately, there are many cases, such as those involving physical or sexual abuse where this is not possible. But for those cases where it may be possible to unite families, this video will serve as a tool to support people’s education for this process and emphasize the importance of every step involved in it. “

The video is available online here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6sqov7rf1u.

“This video will provide an excellent resource for parents, helping them to navigate the process of abuse and neglect and ultimately support more positive results for the children of our country, which is the main goal of the court program for improvement,” Former twenty court chains (Hampshire, Hardy and Pentelon Counts), Judge K. Carter Williams, who chaired the Court Improvement Program (CIP) during the video production, said.

CIP controls federal grants to improve safety, timely perseverance and well -being of children and to protect the proper process for families in abuse/neglect children and cases of minors. The grants are from the administration of the Ministry of Health and Human Services for children and families.

In 2023, 5 286 cases were filed for violence and neglect of children in 2023, about 13 percent of common cases this year. The Supreme Court had 251 complaints of abuse and neglect, filed in 2023, just over 43 percent of the total documents.^[i]

As the number of cases of abuse and neglect has increased and the need for foster homes. West Virginia had 6,080 children in foster care as of December 31, 2024, according to the State Department of Human Services.^[ii] If families can be safely assembled, there is a smaller need for foster homes.

The video was produced by the Supreme Court Public Information Office. It is financed at 100 percent through a grant award No. 2301WVSCIP by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration for Children and Families. The content of this video is the collective professional assessment of the screenwriters and should not be considered as authoritative statements or interpretations of the law by the Supreme Court of Appeal of the Western Virginia.