Foster parent ‘communication portal’ passes House as lawmakers acknowledge child welfare crisis

Del. Adam Burkhammer, lead bill sponsor of House Bill 4975 and a foster parent, said his measure was just the first step in addressing issues in the state’s struggling system, which is facing a massive class-action lawsuit for alleged mistreatment of foster children. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography)

Two West Virginia House of Delegates members who are foster parents successfully led the push for a bill that would create a centralized communication tool for a number of individuals involved in a child’s case.

During bill debate on Wednesday, lawmakers acknowledged that it was a good idea to help tackle pervasive communication problems in the system. But many voiced that legislation wasn’t enough to address the state’s overwhelmed foster care system and high rate of children removed from their biological families.

House Bill 4975 would create a “foster parent information system,” where foster parents, biological parents, Child Protective Services workers, guardian ad litems and others involved in a child’s case could share and keep a record of communication.

Del. Jonathan Pinson, R-Mason, deputy majority whip

“ … These stakeholders in many cases, they don’t communicate well at all,” said Del. Jonathan Pinson, R-Mason, a bill sponsor and foster parent. “This bill facilitates excellent communication.”

Pinson tried last year to get a similar piece of legislation passed.

He continued, “We understand the obstacles that are facing child welfare … It’s a crisis. … But many of us fall short on how to fix it. I would suggest that this piece of legislation before us today is a monumental step in addressing some of the problems that are facing West Virginia foster care.”

As lawmakers have struggled with holding the state accountable for its care of foster children, the bill would also require the Department of Human Services to share with lawmakers an analysis of the responsiveness of Child Protective Services workers using this system.

The House unanimously passed the measure, and it will head to the Senate for consideration.

During bill debate, many lawmakers said the state must figure out how to prevent kids from coming into the system. The rate of foster children has surged for more than a decade during the state’s drug epidemic.

West Virginia removes children from their biological families faster than any other state in the country. One in 50 children here experienced the severing of their relationships with both of their parents from 2015 to 2019, ProPublica reported .

Del. Brandon Steele, R-Raleigh, cautioned that lawmakers must not legislate who are good parents, and, in turn, focus on making sure children are able to safely stay with their biological families.

“People are going to have to get out of their church pews, and go out there and knock on a door and go help out somebody’s kid. Go help out a single mom that is so worn out that she’s not keeping it all together,” he said.

Lead bill sponsor Del. Adam Burkhammer, R-Lewis, said his measure was just the first step in addressing issues in the state’s struggling system, which is facing a massive class-action lawsuit for alleged mistreatment of foster children.

Burkhammer is a foster parent who shared he’d experienced CPS communication issues firsthand.

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “Once it’s proved how technology runs in this system, it can grow and it can bring other people into the system — ultimately helping across the board. I am passionate about this.”

There are more than 6,000 kids in foster care.

Del. Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, told lawmakers that they must make sure that the state Department of Human Services implements the portal, which comes with an estimated $1 million price tag.

He pointed out that the department last year still hadn’t fully implemented a database system that managed foster care cases — despite spending millions of dollars on it.

In an email on Thursday, a spokesperson for DOHS said the system, known as West Virginia PATH (People’s Access To Help), began “smoothly” rolling out in January 2023 for child welfare. The system manages other state-run programs, like child care subsidies, which will go live later this spring.

“I would add a word of caution to members, please … watch the implementation of this law and actually make sure that it gets done,” Linville said.

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