Cloudy skies with showers and a possible thunderstorm this afternoon. High 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Localized flooding is possible..
Tonight
Cloudy skies. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.
Problems within foster care and Child Protective Services in West Virginia are myriad and staggering. That’s not a revelatory statement to anyone who’s been paying attention over the past few years.
However, news that the state spent almost $70 million last year to send foster children to out-of-state facilities — some of which are operated by companies facing allegations of sexual abuse and neglect — is mind boggling. The story detailing how and where the money is spent was first published by West Virginia Watch reporter Amelia Ferrell Knisely.
The reason the state is spending that much money on out-of-state help isn’t entirely surprising. West Virginia simply doesn’t have the capacity to keep all of the at least 5,800 kids in foster care in state. There aren’t enough eligible foster homes in West Virginia to house the high volume of kids in the system. West Virginia is especially short on space for children with behavioral or mental health issues, Knisely reported.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult for the government to supervise and monitor children who are sent elsewhere. And the quality of living conditions at out-of-state facilities seems hit or miss. One West Virginia 18-year-old who spent time at a facility in Alabama told Knisely the education she received was practically nonexistent, consisting mainly of online courses. Additionally, classes were frequently postponed or canceled because of fights among students at the facility.
Kids shouldn’t have to go through things like that, especially hundreds of miles away from their hometown.
It would be nice if that $70 million spent last year to house children out-of-state could be invested back into facilities, jobs and other resources regarding foster care here in West Virginia. Of course, it’s not that simple. Getting West Virginia up to par to handle all of the issues within the system at home takes time, and children without a place to stay in-state will still need somewhere to go.
However, this is another example of how overrun and inadequate the system is in West Virginia. Efforts have to be made to correctly staff CPS, establish more eligible foster homes and improve and expand state facilities. West Virginia children need to be in West Virginia homes, under a system that is robust enough to ensure those children are safe and well cared for.
