DoHS Enhances Child Welfare Prevention Efforts
with New Pilot Program, Expanded FSCs
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – 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.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.