Lessons in Resilience

More than 6,000 children in West Virginia are in foster care, each navigating not only the challenges of family separation but also the disruptions that come with adjusting to a new school and new teachers as well as coping with trauma in the classroom. For these children, school is more than just education—it can be a lifeline, source of stability and path toward success. However, the realities of foster care can create barriers that make it hard to stay on track.

At the state level, the West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) plays a crucial role in balancing the safety of children in foster care with the need for educational stability.

“Whenever possible, the department prioritizes keeping children in their school of origin, as outlined under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act,” says Lorie Bragg, commissioner for the Bureau of Social Services. “This helps reduce disruptions and provides a consistent environment during what can be a difficult time.”

Bragg says staff works with local school districts to make best-interest decisions regarding a child’s education. While keeping children in their original schools is not always feasible, the department does its best to ensure school continuity is considered alongside safety and clinical needs.Improving collaboration between child welfare and education is a top priority for the DoHS.

“The DoHS actively works with the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) and local school systems to strengthen communication and coordination,” she says. “A designated proxy represents the agency on two statewide committees focused on children in foster care: the State Foster Care & Education Points of Contact Committee and the Education of Children in Out-of-Home Care Advisory Committee.”

Joint planning meetings, shared protocols and improved information exchange processes with the WVDE help both agencies respond to emerging issues more effectively. Beyond systemic work, caseworkers collaborate daily with foster families, shelters and schools to ensure a student’s academic success. They help navigate tutoring, special education services and transitions between schools.

Despite progress, challenges remain, mainly with transportation, district policies and placement shortages. Bragg says the DoHS is committed to addressing these issues through policy updates, staff training and stronger local collaboration.

“While the work is ongoing, the department remains committed to identifying solutions that better support children and youth in foster care,” she says.

On the front lines of the state’s foster care crisis, the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia (CHS) provides services that directly help children and families who are navigating the emotional and educational challenges of displacement. The CHS’ work offers a closer look at how consistency and advocacy can make a difference in the classroom.

At the Davis Child Shelter, part of the CHS, the mission goes beyond providing temporary housing—it’s about helping children regain stability in and out of the classroom.

“The most common academic challenges children face is being behind on their school work,” says Jamie Vanbibber, shelter supervisor for the CHS. “We receive a lot of youth who have missed significant school time due to their living situations and expectations, which causes them to have failing grades and fall behind.”

In response to this, the shelter offers on-site academic support.

“Fortunately, we have two amazing tutors who assist our youth with their school work and aid them in getting caught up,” Vanbibber says. “We encourage our youth to make great decisions at school and ask for help when they need it. This helps build rapport and trust with our kids, and most of them feel comfortable seeking help. We see significant improvement in their grades during their time at the shelter.”

Partnerships with local schools are also important in the CHS’ process. Staff members have strong relationships with guidance counselors, teachers and principals to keep children on track. Vanbibber says these connections help because they allow the schools to know who they are and who the CHS’ kids are.

Looking ahead, Vanbibber says more resources are needed to fully support children’s academic and emotional growth. Better coordination with schools, health care providers and social services would smooth out transitions while extra volunteers and mentors could add to the children’s quality of life.

“Having someone to spend time with our youth to facilitate activities is invaluable,” Vanbibber says. “They love spending time with people who genuinely care for them.”

For private foster care agencies like Necco, advocacy is crucial in helping children succeed in the classroom.

“Educational advocacy means ensuring children in foster care receive the same, or better, access to quality education as their peers, despite the instability they may face,” says Travis Wooten, program director for Necco Beckley. “This includes working with schools to develop individualized learning plans, ensuring timely record transfers, advocating for necessary accommodations under laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and being a consistent voice to ensure their academic progress is not lost amid placement changes.”

Wooten says the risks of instability are serious.

“Each school move can mean weeks or months of lost progress,” he says. “Without prompt transfer of academic records, children may be placed in the wrong classes, miss critical support services or have to repeat assessments. The instability often compounds existing trauma, making it harder for them to engage in learning.”

Foster parents also play an important role in bridging the gap between home and school. While they do receive some support, the resources vary across counties. Wooten says many foster parents have to personally navigate complex school systems to secure services.

To ease this burden, Necco maintains close partnerships with schools, working alongside counselors, social workers and McKinney-Vento liaisons to streamline enrollment, secure transportation and advocate for special education services when needed. Still, Wooten feels there is room for continued growth.

“These partnerships could be strengthened with dedicated education advocates embedded in both the foster care system and schools as well as with shared digital systems to speed up record transfers,” says Wooten.

While the challenges foster care presents are complex, one goal is clear across perspectives: education is essential to the future of these children.