WV SB472

Creates the Critical Incident Review Team under the Office of Inspector General to review child fatalities and near fatalities involving children in the child welfare system, with mandatory meetings within 10 days of any such incident

Requires the Department of Human Services to update its child welfare data dashboard monthly with information including child fatalities and near fatalities (within 48 hours of an incident), workforce data, and placement status information

Grants the Foster Care Ombudsman access to confidential child abuse and neglect records, including the identity of persons making complaints, when acting in official duties

Mandates that all reports to centralized intake from mandatory reporters cannot be screened out, and requires retention of all intake reports and audio recordings for at least 12 months

Requires the Critical Incident Review Team to submit an initial report within 30 days of a fatality or near fatality to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability, with a comprehensive annual report due December 1