Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin today announced the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) Bureau for Children and Families will launch Safe at Home West Virginia, a federal pilot program to support and strengthen West Virginia families by reducing the number of children receiving services in out-of-home care facilities. West Virginia is one of only 10 states to receive the federal waiver to support the Safe at Home program.
“The Safe at Home West Virginia pilot project provides the opportunity to continue our efforts to improve and enhance our state’s child welfare system,” Gov. Tomblin said. “It’s no secret our state’s future lies with our children. By identifying ways to deliver key in-home programming for our state’s at-risk kids, we can ensure they are receiving important services in an environment where they feel comfortable and safe, which will help them become productive adults.”
Through a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and DHHR Bureau for Children and Families, the Safe at Home West Virginia program is aimed at providing wrap-around services to children and families across the state. That means increasing the number of children in permanent residences, encouraging positive outcomes for children in homes and communities and preventing child abuse, neglect and the re-entry of children into foster care.
“I am excited about the opportunity to work closely with our partners to provide services that will allow children to be served at the right time and in the right place,” DHHR Secretary Karen Bowling said. “This will improve the overall ability of the Department of Health and Human Resources to create a stable environment for our children and families.”
Safe at Home West Virginia is targeted to serve youth ages 12-17 who are currently in or at-risk of entering congregate placements. The project incorporates evidence-based practices to coordinate services for eligible youth and their families. Those eligible will receive a combination of services tailored to their individual strengths, needs and placement risk level.
“These projects offer a tremendous opportunity to improve child welfare services for children and families, while generating knowledge that can benefit children across all states,” said JooYeun Chang, associate commissioner for the Children’s Bureau at HHS. “We look forward to working with West Virginia to ensure successful implementation of the project.”
The Safe at Home West Virginia program will serve children and families in Berkeley, Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, Jackson, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, Morgan, Putnam, Roane and Wayne counties.
