work in the system as well as juvenile and

work in the system as well as juvenile and domestic relations judges. J

Many of the recommendatipift came from the Health, Welfare and j Institutions subcommittee. « jj

The subcommittee’s Report, submitted in mid-November, characterized Virginia’s child-protection ami judicial system as one in which* , child can fall through the cracks, , J i

“The system failed Valerie*’ ’according to the report that later stated that no system is foolproof. • *;

Subcommittee Chairman Del David G. Brickley, D-Woodbridge, acknowledged the difficulties facing overworked and under financed social services agencies. Additionally, DeJ. Brickley said, the Smelser family hajj moved from county to county ih Virginia and had gon&to West Virginia to avoid detection of the abuses. *

In a separate meeting, Del. Mayer reiterated Del. Brickley’s observations, saying the system failed. Mi& Smelser because records for unfouneted cases of child abuse are "purged after 30 days. j

The legislation being proposed by Del. Mayer’s subcommittee stipulates' that evidence collected in unfounded cases remain on file in a separate rei istry with local departments for thrj years. i

The only people having access ta the records would be the Departmei of Social Services and the subject i the report. The subject of the repc also could ask the local department, maintain the records for a longer, per od of time.

This proposal, Del. Mayer said, intended to be “a severely restricts working tool of the department.” •

In addition, the state departme proposes establishing a computed* statewide tracking system so that . social services agencies would ha\ access to information on a suspectc negligent or abusive family wh might have moved. Such a systel would cost about $12 million, wij the federal government paying me of it.