WV Department of Human Services Cites Year End Child Welfare Successes

In a yearend report, the WV Department of Human Services highlighted key accomplishments and progress in child welfare over the past year, which demonstrate the Department’s commitment to ensuring the safety, stability, and well-being of West Virginia’s children and families.

“These achievements reflect this Department’s dedication to building a brighter future for West Virginia’s children and families,” said Cynthia Persley, Ph.D., Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Human Services. “By fostering innovation, strengthening partnerships, and focusing on the well-being of those we serve, we are making a tangible difference in the lives of our most vulnerable residents.”

The areas of improvement include: the following:

• They have reduced the number of children placed in state residential care, focusing instead on connecting children with family and community-based care options, ensuring they remain closer to familiar environments.
• They have increased the number of their workforce who provide critical services to these children in both the child Protective Services and Youth Services. Since early 2023, the vacancy rate for these critical positions has dropped from 31% to 11.7%, and the turnover rate has improved from 34.1% to 19.4%. These improvements ensure children receive timely and effective care from experienced professionals.
• DoHS has expanded resources to connect families with mental health services. Through the “no wrong door” approach of the Assessment Pathway for Children’s Mental Health Services, families can easily access home and community-based services.
• They have been emphasizing permanency and kinship Care, and that has shown results in that according to the most recent federal data, West Virginia has a far lower rate of maltreatment of children in foster care in comparison to national average and continues to excel in placing children with kinship caregivers. The State also surpasses the national average in achieving permanency for children who have been in State custody for more than a year, a testament to its focus on long-term stability for youth.
• They have Improved Collaboration with organizations like Aetna Better Health of West Virginiahave enhanced access to pediatric psychiatric care and other critical services. Since February 2020, in-state foster care placements have decreased by 17.3%, while out-of-state placements dropped by 1.04%. The Children with Serious Emotional Disorder (CDED) Waiver program has supported nearly 4,000 children to date, with provider numbers doubling since 2020 to meet growing demand. As of October 1, 2024, policy changes were made to support existing providers and encourage new providers.
• They have increased Early Intervention and Health Screenings:DoHS remains committed to early intervention through initiatives like HealthCheck, which ensures children meet developmental milestones and access preventative services. From January to June 2024, 93% of children entering State custody received wellness screenings, including mental health evaluations,
• They have also implemented a statewide foster care campaign which has generated 454 inquiries since its launch and drove over 6,400 visits to foster care resources in November alone.
• And, finally, they have increased their Commitment to Child Safety through a partnership with the National Partnership for Child Safety(NPCS), to identify system-wide opportunities for improvement in child safety and maltreatment prevention