West Virginia’s foster care system needs money and mandated changes to improve its outcomes for children, according to Republican lawmakers who laid out the grim realities of the overburdened system on Monday.
The state leads the nation in the number of children entering foster care, and the child welfare system is struggling to keep up with the crisis.
“It’s almost four times higher than any other state,” Del said. Jonathan PinsonR Mason, who is a foster parent. “That should get our attention as lawmakers.”
There are 6,008 Children in state foster families; many are teenagers. There are not enough Child Protective Services employees. Nursing homes or services for children.
“The system is much broader when you consider the families who need help to prevent CPS from taking the child away, children who are getting older and children who are being adopted,” Del said. Adam Burkhammer, R-Lewis. He is also a foster parent. “They see a greater need than 6,000.”
Head of Human Services Department say they have made improvements to the foster care system, but lawmakers said more needs to be done for children. Republicans in the House and Senate have a long list of needs, and Burkhammer stressed that the state must prioritize strengthening prevention programs to prevent more children from needing the system.
There are still federal funds on the table that the DoHS has not used, he noted. But services for children — such as substance operate treatment for parents and behavioral therapy — will continue to require government funding.
“Funding never scares me,” said Senate Finance Chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam. “It’s just a matter of when we use the money so we know it’s going where it’s supposed to go. This has always been a challenge at DoHS.”
He continued: “If it is a priority of the group then it will be included in the budget.”
Almost one in eight infants born in West Virginia between 2020 and 2022, was exposed to opioids, stimulants and/or cannabis in utero. Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, noted that without early intervention services, many of these babies could end up in the foster care system.
“If we don’t really address prevention services, we will continue to beat our heads against the wall,” he said. “We need to address this in the budget as we prioritize what needs to be cut and funded… It’s going to get worse and worse.”
The DoHS says it has improved foster care, but lawmakers are demanding more
A 2019 class action lawsuit alleged widespread problems in the system, including a lack of lasting housing for children, the sending of children to unsafe facilities and overburdened CPS staff who couldn’t keep up with caseloads.
In July DoHS requested a summary judgment in the lawsuit saying they had hired more CPS workers and recruited more foster families.
Senate and House Republicans on a task force focused on foster care reform said months of investigations into the system showed persistent inadequacies. Their findings showed that there was a lack of urgency in the care of children and that the DoHS needed to be more clear about how it handled cases of child abuse and neglect.
There are still not enough CPS employees, they said. “There are 79 open positions out of 390 CPS employees,” Burkhammer said. “That leads to a high number of cases…I think it ultimately leads to poor quality and attention for our children.”
Financing remains challenging, added Burkhammer.
“Sometimes the money is there and the bills don’t get paid on time,” he said.
Burkhammer, Pinson and Sen. Vince Deeds, R-Greenbrier, introduced care legislation they hope lawmakers will consider during the 2025 legislative session. Their ideas included improvements a voucher program for foster parents This would ensure that the children have enough clothing. Another bill would enhance the pay rate for guardians, who are court-appointed attorneys who represent the child’s best interests.
“Each litigator has at least 41 active cases in addition to their other legal work,” Pinson said. “If we want to retain great lawyers for the children we take into care, we have to pay them.”
Lawmakers also drafted legislation focused on improving DoHS’s transparency in its responses Abusing and neglecting recommendations. There would be up-to-date and more up-to-date data requirements, including a requirement to retain audio files associated with transfers for a year. The department would need to share some information quickly and publicly in cases involving the death of a child.
The DoHS faced backlash earlier this year over its handling of the issue apparent starvation 14-year-old Kyneddi Miller. reporter records were refusedAnd Heads of state had contradictory, restricted, and combative reactions to questions about whether the state knew about Miller before her death.
“Everyone wants the best for our children, and I believe this bill will help us do that,” Deeds said.
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