DoHS Enhances Child Welfare Prevention Efforts with New Pilot Program, Expanded Family Support Centers

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The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) is advancing its commitment to strategic long term family preservation and child welfare prevention by launching a new CarePortal pilot program and strengthening partnerships and investment in Family Support Centers (FSCs) across the state.

"These initiatives reflect our unwavering dedication to supporting families and preventing the need for foster care placements," said Cammie Chapman, DoHS Deputy Secretary of Children and Adult Services. "By connecting communities and empowering local support systems, we are reinforcing our commitment to keeping families together and promoting the well-being of children across West Virginia."

CarePortal, a dynamic tool for family support, is designed to help prevent biological families from entering the child welfare system by meeting their essential needs. The system connects families to local faith-based organizations through a secure platform, allowing Family Support Center staff, social workers and other child and family-serving professionals to post urgent requests for material supports that can prevent child welfare involvement - such as the need for furniture, appliances, or clothing - to be fulfilled by volunteer groups within the community. This initiative is being piloted in Preston and Monongalia counties through a collaboration with Chestnut Mountain Village, a program of Chestnut Mountain Ranch.

"CarePortal has the potential to transform the way we support families in crisis by creating a bridge between the community and those in need," said Greg Clutter, Chestnut Mountain Village Director of Foster Care Initiatives. "We believe that through this pilot program, we can demonstrate the power of community-based action in preventing family separation and ensuring children can remain safely with their parents."

DoHS's Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA) has also made significant strategic, long term investments to the FSC system. These centers welcome any family member with children up to the age of 18 or pregnant families, offering vital support in times of need or on a regular basis. FSCs deliver comprehensive primary prevention services and are currently present in 57 centers across 54 counties in West Virginia.

"For the past 26 years, the Family Support Center model has been a key component of the social support system in Tucker County," said Sandra Mason, Tucker County Family Support Center Director. "The funding has allowed us to customize programming to best fit the needs of local families. As the Chair of the West Virginia Family Support Center Association it's exciting to see how other counties are expanding this important safety net to support families including expansion of offices to remote communities, purchasing automobiles for mobile services, creating unique programming with direct input from families and distribution of resources for those in need."

FSCs employ the Mobility Mentoring model, an approach also utilized by WV WORKS, which empowers families to set and achieve personal goals through motivational interviewing and practical support. Programs and services offered by FSCs are designed to build protective factors such as parental knowledge, resilience, social connections, and emotional competence, while providing concrete support during times of need.

For more information about Family Support Centers and the CarePortal initiative, visit dhhr.wv.gov/bfa/communityresources/Pages/Family-Support-Centers.aspx.