Currently, nearly 26,000 West Virginia kids can’t access child care because of gaps in availability. (Getty Images)
I’m an Alaskan now. It feels strange to write, but it’s true. I relocated to Fairbanks over the summer. Whenever you read this, I’m four hours behind you in Alaskan Standard Time, where it’s probably colder with longer nights and occasional northern lights.
So, this is my last commentary. West Virginians have always had good people looking out for their community’s kids, so I know others will step up as my organization closes. However, keeping an eye on what’s happening as some of the state’s crises unfold can be a tricky business, as our state government often obfuscates, and local media continues to shrink.
It’s no secret that the governor’s office and state systems are coordinating efforts to sweep many of the major issues affecting kids’ health and well-being under the rug and shoot the messengers trying to report them. At this point, it feels a lot like gaslighting. We’ve earned the right to our Appalachian skepticism under this administration. So here’s the big stuff to follow with a keen eye and, when needed, swift action.
Child welfare : NBC News called this sweeping class-action lawsuit a “ legal reckoning ,” and unless attorneys for the Department of Human Services (DoHS) can stop it, the trial is slated to begin in November. It’s been a long time coming. It was filed in September 2019. Sure, DoHS is taking some significant steps to improve the child welfare system. But have they done enough? Do these kids who have aged out of the foster care system deserve compensation? And will this trial force the state to be more transparent and accountable to the public so we can ensure vulnerable kids aren’t being re-traumatized by an inept, often callous system? This case is a long time coming and a potential watershed moment for our most vulnerable kids.
Also, the investigation into Kyneddi Miller’s death is ongoing, and so are discussions about reforming child protective services and homeschooling policies. While there’s a good chance that the legislature will take on these issues during session, what remains in limbo is discussions about what the public has the right to know when one of its children dies of unnatural causes. That’s an important policy issue, and I hope a lawmaker has the courage and tenacity to take it on.
Child care: This has been a slow-motion train wreck. Currently, nearly 26,000 West Virginia kids can’t access child care because of gaps in availability. And now, there’s a looming funding cliff that could lead to more providers’ doors and forcing more kids out of care. Melissa Colagrosso, director for A Place to Grow, shared with reporters that more than 60 child care providers have already closed across the state since January 2024, because the current funding formula isn’t sustainable.
Since spring, there have been many calls for a special session to address the crisis, but none has been convened. Representatives from DoHS told the legislature in April that the funding would end in August.
But then, Cabinet Secretary Persily told WVNews last week that the state has funding through December.
So, which is it? It’s a message clearly not conveyed to child care providers.
This can-kicking has run out of road. This isn’t just a lack of communication; it’s cruel and irresponsible. Keep an eye out for this issue in the coming months, as the money dries up with no plan in place. These providers may need your help.
Public schools : Schools are the canaries in the coal mine, signaling the coming of our worst societal challenges. And right now, our schools are struggling. With a declining state population, schools are losing students, leading to reduced funding for school districts. This is because the school aid formula is primarily based on enrollment. In some counties, the situation is further exacerbated by the inability to secure enough votes to pass education levies or bonds.
Counties like Marion are losing students to homeschooling . Their personnel total is well beyond what the state aid formula provides.
Additionally, COVID-19 pandemic funding provided financial relief to West Virginia schools, but this funding is set to expire at the end of September. Around 1,500 public school positions are supported through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Act.
Aside from funding, chronic absenteeism is a big problem. So are adverse behaviors. Behavior issues are so bad that legislation almost passed this year to make it easier to suspend and expel elementary school students into alternative learning programs, which is a real problem when several county school systems don’t even have these programs.
Where’s the money going to come from to create these programs?
Our most rural schools, especially those most affected by the drug epidemic, face the biggest struggles. I don’t know how much longer it can go on before a family needing services that are federally required but not provided takes legal action that results in the re-examination of the Recht Decision .
So, if public education is important to you, tune in. Each year, the West Virginia Department of Education takes a snapshot of data on Oct. 1. Keep an eye out for it for updated enrollment numbers. And you can now stream county board of education meetings .
That’s all from me for now. Stay skeptical and support your community’s kids and the people who care for them. You’re all in for a real roller coaster ride over the next several months.
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