With This Many West Virginia Children in Foster Care…
From WVNews
CLARKSBURG — With more than 7,000 children in West Virginia’s foster care system, state and school officials are working to ensure resources are available for families and students to improve wellness and academic achievement.
Approximately 7,032 children in West Virginia are currently placed in foster care, according to a January Legislative Foster Care Report provided by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services. This is an increase from January 2019 data reporting 6,761 children in the state’s foster care system.
“Largely because of the opioid epidemic, foster care placement in West Virginia has risen from 4,129 children in care in September 2011 to 6,895 in September 2019 — a 67% increase,” according to Jessica Holstein, assistant director of Communications at the WV DHHR.
Holstein said the DHHR requires all children in foster care to attend public school unless there are extenuating circumstances that make their attendance in public school not …
