West Virginia Department of Human Services shares Child Welfare Listening tour results

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) — The foster care system in the Mountain State has been a topic of discussion over the past few weeks with the West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS).

The DoHS hosted its first Child Welfare Listening Tour with eight stops around the state, hearing the concerns from various groups, including case workers, biological parents, foster families, attorneys and kinship families.

A few of the common themes found were a need for consistency in standardization practices and improved communication and transparency that the foster care system can give to families and caretakers.

Department of Human Services Cabinet Secretary Alex Mayer said that the focus of the tour was to get as many different perspectives and voices to the table as they could.

“We understand that everyone touches on the child welfare system in very different ways, depending on, you know, what their role is in that process. So, it’s important to gain that perspective,” Mayer said.

Mayer said that there are nearly 384 children in out-of-state placements. He added that he has had conversations with providers about building more in-state facilities to house these children.

“One thing that I want to do is I want to talk to those out-of-state providers that are providing those specialized levels of care and see how they’re doing it,” Mayer said. “What are the things that they’re doing that allows them to overcome the barriers that some of our in-state providers are talking about?”

Delegate Jonathan Pinson (R-Mason) knows the firsthand experience of children in the West Virginia foster care system. He and his wife have eight children, one of whom is adopted, as well as three foster children who are in the process of being adopted.

Delegate Pinson said that the mental health of these children needs to be protected.

“The best studies that are out there indicate that trauma these children have been through,” Pinson said. “It produces adverse effects on their brains, much like PTSD produces in veterans and those who have had to live through traumatic situations and circumstances.”

The child welfare listening tour made stops in Wheeling, Morgantown, Martinsburg, Burlington, Philippi, Parkersburg, Hurricane and Beckley.

To see the full report, click here.