As WV tests a new foster care intake system, overburdened CPS workers are still a problem

After a child’s starvation death, West Virginia is testing a new system for child protective services workers to make decisions about foster care cases.

However, the rollout does not come with additional CPS staff, which is what Del. Adam Burkhammer, R-Lewis, is raising concerns.

“I definitely have concerns if we start asking more of our already overburdened case workers,” he said.

In 2024, 14-year-old Kyneddi Miller was found emaciated on the bathroom floor of her Boone County home. While the Justice administration claimed CPS knew nothing about Miller before her death, reporters report documents received indicating that a CPS referral was made through them.

In July 2024, the state Department of Human Services made the announcement would change how it screens referrals for child abuse and neglect and develops a new system in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Evident Change.

This is the result of a recent investigation by West Virginia Watch The state never implemented it the Evident Change transfer system, even though the state paid the nonprofit $223,000.

West Virginia reviews CPS referrals at the highest rate in the country, more than double the national average.

The state is currently implementing the Safety Assessment and Family Evaluation (SAFE) model under the Morrisey administration. This is a reception system designed to lend a hand caseworkers make decisions about children’s cases, including whether a child should be reunited with a biological parent or adopted outside the home.

“It’s really about ensuring the safety of children, assessing parents’ protective capacities and figuring out what the family dynamics are. So it’s not just a snapshot of an incident,” he said Kendra Boley Rogers, deputy commissioner of the state Office of Human Services.

She testified Tuesday before members of the House Health Committee during the House members-only meetings.

The SAFE model is being tested in Braxton, Clay, Gilmer, Raleigh and Webster counties.

Boley Rogers said one goal is to ensure children can remain safely in their biological homes, explaining, “Because we know that children’s well-being is better when they can stay in the home or return to their families.”

There are 5,580 children in foster care in West Virginia.

In March, Boley Rogers told lawmakers that most CPS employees in West Virginia handle 20 to 30 cases and the preferred standard is 12 to 15 cases per employee.

Burkhammer is a foster parent Pioneer in child welfare reform in the legislature.

The state’s CPS staff will be tasked with conducting the adjudication process, raising concerns for Burkhammer about caseloads and adequate support.

“(The) majority of our staff are already dealing with high caseloads, so we want to take this initiative now. Do you think we need to increase staffing to be able to do this adequately and to a high standard of quality?” he asked.

Boley Rogers responded, “I can’t really say at this point because we’re so early in the process.”

“But I know that this model is specifically designed to improve decision-making so that caseloads are at a more consistent level,” she continued.

Burkhammer said lawmakers must continue to examine the number of CPS cases.

“Ultimately, we will probably need to spend some money and increase staffing to ensure it is a high quality program and achieves the desired results,” he said.

The legislature recently decided an invoice This will give the state Department of Human Services more authority to relocate CPS workers to high-need areas across the state. It was an attempt to address the problem Long-term staff shortages in the CPS without hiring additional workers. The measure was requested by Gov. Patrick Morrisey, who signed it into law.