CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The new commissioner of the state Bureau for Children and Families promised a group of state lawmakers Wednesday that she will fix problems associated with the state’s Youth Services Program.
BCF Commissioner Nancy Exline was responding to a review by the legislative auditor that shows great difficulty in evaluating the program because there’s very little data available. The Bureau for Children and Families and the Youth Services Program are both under the state DHHR.
Legislative Auditor Research Analyst Michael Castle said the program is not in compliance with state code. There have been no annual reviews and Castle said no annual reports were filed with state lawmakers from 2008-2011.
“The Youth Services Program is operated without knowledge of whether its purpose is achieved or how much it costs,” Castle said Wednesday.
Commissioner Exline, who just began as commissioner last month, told lawmakers the report was upsetting and she’s already started to correct what’s been lacking.
“October 16th I started this job. I can’t tell you why in 1997 the Bureau for Children and Families did not put together a process that followed that code, but I can tell you we will,” Exline said.
The Youth Services Program works with troubled juveniles. Sometimes the children are moved out of their homes and put in foster homes and other times they are put into rehabilitation programs. There were 250 juveniles housed in out of state programs last year. There was $66 million spent on the program in 2012 but auditors say very little information is available to gauge the program’s effectiveness.
Commissioner Exline said she’s already put a task force together that will get results.
“We’re going to have remarkable change, I believe, in the way we do things, the way in which we track things, the way in which we will be accountable and the way we report things out to you,” Exline said. “I just ask you to give me the time to do it.”
Exline will report back to lawmakers within six months.