CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Governor Patrick Morrisey is continuing to lay out his top priorities in the days before the legislative session begins, and one of those is fixing the state’s child welfare system.
As of now, there are just over 6,000 children child welfare placements in West Virginia.
On Tuesday, Morrisey announced his proposed changes to the system, which include expanding Star Academies, facilitating closer coordination with faith-based organizations, and initiating Truancy Diversion programs.
Star Academies
Star academies are within a select number of existing schools in the state. Within these schools, a few classrooms are transformed so students can get hands-on learning focusing on STEM. In West Virginia, there are Star pilot programs in Martinsburg, Charleston, Logan and Phillipi.
Morrisey says these at-risk students still getting to interact with others inside the building is a big deal.
“They’re walking the same halls as their classmates. I think there’s some value in that. They’re eating in the same cafeteria. They’re just learning in different classrooms focusing on their unique needs,” he said.
He says that statistics show Star academies help get students on the right track.
“It’s on the behavioral side that we’re really encouraged. There’s an 81 percent decrease in behavioral instances. Think about that. 63 percent increase in attendance. That’s significant,” Morrisey said.
Faith-based organizations
Morrisey also spoke about his desire to get more local churches that want to help involved.
“Churches play a fundamental role in doing good things to help our kids,” Morrisey said.
Morrisey says there are several churches that want to reach out and help.
“Over the years, I know from my discussions as attorney general and talking with people in the community, the churches want to feel like there’s opportunity to work closely with people in the department,” Morrisey said. “We think it’s critical that West Virginia have a better organized system of people within the department who are helping to organize working with these churches and facilitating these longer-term community relationships.”
Truancy Diversion programs
Morrisey says there are a lot of children that have real mental health problems that go through the court system, which causes them to be in and out of school. On the flip side, he says there’s far too many students that are just chronically absent from school.
“We want to put expanded focus on truancy diversion, so having more mentorship and working with the truancy courts,” Morrisey said. “We want to sit down with the Supreme Court to continue to talk about what they’re doing in terms of their court programs so that everyone can be better educated.”
“There are better systems for distinguishing kids that have very severe mental healthcare needs, versus kids that are quite frankly like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” he continued.
Department of Human Services Secretary Alex Mayer also spoke during the Tuesday press conference. He says this is the state trying to take preventative steps.
“I think what today is really a representation of beginning to move forward in that preventative effort,” Mayer said. “We talk a lot about primary prevention at the department, and I think what the governor has outlined is a good example of some of those steps forward.”
Morrisey maintains that West Virginia made progress in his first year in office in regard to the child welfare system, but there’s still work to do.
“At the beginning, I promised I would keep you updated as we have developments and we’ll face the music to deal with the challenges that we have, and that’s what we’re here to do,” he said. “I’m excited to work with the legislature because I think they share the same goals.”
Morrisey’s Tuesday announcement comes about three weeks after he stood before reporters and introduced a new revolving investment fund meant to reduce out-of-state placements by investing in state facilities.
Currently, 380 children are placed out-of-state for either special care that is not currently offered in the Mountain State.