Charleston, W.Va. (WVDN) – Governor Patrick Morrisey today announced a coordinated package of foster care–focused reforms designed to strengthen families, stabilize placements, and improve outcomes for children involved in West Virginia’s child welfare system. The Governor proposed expanding Star Academies, facilitating closer coordination with faith-based organizations, and initiating Truancy Diversion programs, modernizing how the state supports children at risk of entering foster care and those already within it.
“These initiatives are some of the first steps we hope to take in the new year to meet those challenges early, support families where they are, and use proven models to deliver real results,” Governor Morrisey said. “By rethinking how we approach these basic issues, we are building a system that is more focused, more effective, and better aligned with the future of our state.”
Working together, these reforms will strengthen early intervention, keep students engaged in school, stabilize families before crises escalate, and modernize child welfare operations to respond to real-world needs.
Star Academies expand on a proven school-within-a-school model that re-engages at-risk middle school students through core academics paired with hands-on, career-connected learning focused on STEM. Results from West Virginia’s four pilot programs show an 81% decrease in behavioral incidents and a 63% increase in attendance. Governor Morrisey’s proposal would utilize existing, unspent reserves from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and add up to 12 new Star Academies, potentially affecting 4,800 children in West Virginia.
Governor Morrisey also stressed the need to initiate stronger partnerships with faith-based organizations to provide practical, relationship-based support that strengthens foster, kinship, and biological families. By coordinating volunteers to deliver respite care, mentoring, transportation, and basic supports, the initiative improves placement stability and permanency while reducing caregiver burnout.
Truancy Diversion treats chronic absenteeism as an education issue, using early, school-based interventions and problem-solving truancy courts to keep students engaged and families supported. This approach reduces unnecessary CPS involvement, lowers costs, and improves attendance, graduation rates, and workforce readiness.
“At its core, this is about changing the trajectory for kids before the system ever has to step in,” Governor Morrisey said. “When education, community support, and child welfare are pulling in the same direction, we give families a real chance to succeed and ensure that foster care is a last resort, not a default response.”
These initiatives are part of a broader package of reforms the Governor has been developing to address long-standing challenges within West Virginia’s foster care system – an area that has been neglected for far too long. Part of the package, announced last month, includes a fund to update and repair existing infrastructure in order to bring children in out-of-state placements back to West Virginia. Together, the Governor’s legislative proposals reflect his administration’s commitment to strengthening family stability, improving outcomes for children, and expanding opportunity for West Virginia families.
“These reforms work together to create a system that is proactive instead of reactive,” said Health and Human Resources Secretary Alex Mayer. “By aligning education, child welfare, and community support around proven strategies, we can improve outcomes for children while being better stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
