‘We inherited a really brutal system. We’re working hard on it,’ said Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
West Virginia will join the Trump administration’s “A Home for Every Child” initiative meant to address a shortage of foster homes in the state.
There are 5,580 children in the state’s foster care system, which has faced scrutiny for children sleeping in hotels or short-term rental homes. There are currently 549 foster children in out-of-state homes and institutions because there aren’t enough in-state options.
The new federal initiative seeks to increase the ratio of foster homes to children in foster care while giving states greater flexibility to modernize child welfare systems and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy. It followed President Donald Trump’s executive order focused on improving child welfare nationwide.
“West Virginia is committed to strengthening families, supporting foster parents, improving permanency outcomes and ensuring our child welfare system is focused on what matters most — protecting children and helping them thrive,” Morrisey said Thursday at the state Capitol.
West Virginia will redesign its foster care parent screening process to reduce barriers, he said.
Assistant Secretary Alex Adams with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families joined Morrisey at the announcement.
“The Trump administration is thrilled to welcome West Virginia as the 19th state to join our national initiative aimed at increasing the ratio of foster homes to children in foster care,” Adams said. “Under Gov. Morrisey’s leadership, the state will be able to strengthen efforts that keep families safely together and support foster family recruitment and retention to ensure no child has to wait on a safe, loving, stable home.”
The federal government will renegotiate its program improvement plan with West Virginia and provide “record red tape relief” to reduce time-consuming paperwork for caseworkers, Adams explained.
Morrisey stressed that his administration is making improvements to the troubled foster care system, noting a new child welfare screening tool and a focus on improving consistency statewide in the handling of children’s cases.
“We inherited a really brutal system,” he said. “We’re working hard on it. What we’re doing isn’t perfect but we are making progress … This administration is committed to putting more time in than people have ever seen before.”
Morrisey recently vetoed multiple foster care bills, including a Republican-sponsored measure meant to expand support for youth exiting the foster care system.
The governor also vetoed a measure that would have required the state to develop and implement a plan for preventing children from entering the foster care system.
At the press conference Thursday, Morrisey said the state is focused on improving prevention efforts.
“Too often the children entered the foster care system because support systems had failed earlier in the process,” he said. “We’re working to change that.”
Morrisey said his administration continues to focus on partnering with churches and faith-based organizations to address the foster care crisis, including recruiting foster homes.
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