Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers has announced the appointment of Senator Whitney Westerfield of Hopkinsville to the Child Welfare Oversight and Advisory Committee.
The newly-formed committee was created in statute with the recent passage of House Bill 1 from the 2018 Legislative Session.
Senator Westerfield is quoted in a news release as saying, “As an adoptive parent, I understand the challenges and anxieties associated with Kentucky’s adoption process. I look forward to applying my experience in the courtroom and as the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman to the child welfare process where too often children fall through the cracks.”
House Bill 1 gives more rights to foster parents by cutting red tape and reducing regulatory burdens associated with adopting a child in Kentucky. The Child Welfare Oversight and Advisory Committee was created by the legislation to review, analyze, and provide oversight on child welfare, including but not limited to foster care, adoption, and child abuse, neglect, and dependency.