The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia partnered with its Court Improvement Program and the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence to put on three meetings teaching participants techniques for working together to help children who have been abused and neglected.

Attorneys, social workers, judges, probation officers, court-appointed advocates, counselors, nurses, domestic violence advocates, law enforcement officers, and others from around West Virginia attended the two-day meetings held at Canaan Valley Resort on June 21-22, Martinsburg Holiday Inn on June 24-25, and the Big Sandy Arena in Huntington on July 12-13.

Supreme Court Division of Children Services Director Nikki Tennis said the goal of the meetings was to change the culture in these cases by encouraging people to think creatively, to be family-centered, and to work together to help children find permanent, safe homes.

Attendees learned the procedure of a Chapter 49 child abuse and neglect case. They received the latest updates on child abuse and neglect law, explored specialized topics, and learned how to collaborate across disciplines to identify and address child abuse and neglect.

Speakers included a circuit judge, a family court judge, attorneys who specialize in child abuse and neglect cases, prosecutors, a public defender, a psychiatrist, a foster parent, and officials from the West Virginia Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Resources' Bureau for Children and Families.

The meetings were open to the press but closed to the public because the maximum capacity at each location was reached.

The West Virginia Court Improvement Program is funded through the federal administration for Children and Families and the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. For more information on the program, visit its website at www.wvcip.com.

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