CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The leader of a statewide network that works with foster, adoptive and kinship families says she’s concerned about the process of implementing a new law that would split the state Department of Health and Human Resources into three separate agencies.
“Bottom line is that if we have the same people doing the same work in the same way, we haven’t changed much of anything. That said, the transition period is concerning to me,” Marissa Sanders, director of the West Virginia Foster, Adoptive and Kinship Parent Network, told MetroNews Tuesday.
Gov. Jim Justice on Monday signed HB 2006 that would allow for the creation of three agencies: the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health Facilities.
Sanders said her work would likely fall under the Department of Human Services. She said she fears there will be more confusion added on to current problems DHHR is facing including delayed payments to families.
“I fear that we will see more situations like that whether in child welfare or in other systems. The confusion, the moving, the not sure who is in what department and all of that transition chaos could lead to further delays or other problems,” Sanders said.
In early February, DHHR announced a delay in those payments which left many West Virginia families wondering how to pay for basic necessities. Some of those payments have been made since then.
“The delays that we’ve seen already, which are not yet resolved, have caused significant hardships for many families. Many are still struggling and trying to get back to some state of normal,” Sanders said.
There are currently more than 6,100 kids in the foster care system in West Virginia, according to Sanders.
Sanders said she’ll be interested in seeing how the new law will fix DHHR as a whole.
“There’s a lot that needs to play out,” she said. “It remains to be seen if we’ve made substantive change in how DHHR functions. Simply moving everyone under different headings doesn’t actually change how the work is done or how people are held accountable for their work.”
Last year, Gov. Justice vetoed a bill that would have divided DHHR into two agencies and called for a top-to-bottom review instead. The House of Delegates and Senate returned this year with a different restructuring proposal that would divide DHHR into the three agencies.
The new DHHR law takes effect 90 days from passage which is May 23.