I'm an Alaskan now. It feels weird to say this, but it's true. I moved to Fairbanks over the summer. As you read this, I'm four hours behind you on Alaska Standard Time. In Alaska, it's probably colder, the nights are longer, and we occasionally see the Northern Lights.
So, that's my final comment. West Virginia has always had good people caring for the children of our communities, and I'm confident that if my organization were to close, others would step up. But with state government often obfuscating and local media continuing to shrink, it's hard to monitor what's happening as the state's crisis unfolds.
It’s no secret that the Governor’s office and state government are working together to cover up many serious issues affecting the health and well-being of our children and to attack communicators who try to report them. At this point, it feels like gaslighting. We’ve earned the right to be Appalachian skeptical under this administration. So here are some key things to keep a keen eye on and act on swiftly if necessary:
Child Welfare: NBC News calls this massive class action lawsuit a “legal liquidation,” and unless lawyers for the Department of Human Services (DoHS) can block it, the trial is set to begin in November. This one's long overdue. The lawsuit was filed in September 2019. Sure, DoHS has taken important steps toward improving the child welfare system. But has it done enough? Do these children who age 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 that vulnerable children are not re-traumatized by an incompetent and often ruthless system? This lawsuit is long overdue and could be a turning point for the most vulnerable children.
There's also an ongoing investigation into Kinnedy Miller's death, as well as ongoing debates about reforming child protective services and homeschooling policies. Congress will likely address these issues during the session, but what remains unresolved is the debate about whether the public has a right to know when their children die of unnatural causes. This is an important policy issue, and I hope lawmakers will have the courage and tenacity to address it.
Childcare: This is a slow-growing catastrophe. Currently, about 26,000 children in West Virginia are without childcare because of gaps in availability. And now, with funding looming, more providers could close and more children could lose care. Melissa Colagros, director of A Place to Grow, told reporters that more than 60 childcare providers across the state have already closed since January 2024 because the current funding formula is not sustainable.
Numerous calls for a special session to address the crisis have been made since the spring but one has yet to be convened. Health ministry representatives told parliament in April that funding would end in August.
But then Cabinet Secretary Persily told WVNews last week the state has the funds through December.
So which is it? It's a message that clearly isn't getting through to childcare workers.
This procrastination is a dead end. This isn't just poor communication, it's cruel and irresponsible. Be careful with this one as funds dry up with no plan in place for the next few months. These providers may need your help.
Public Schools: Schools are the canaries in the coal mine, heralding the worst social problems to come. And right now, our schools are struggling. As the state's population declines, schools are losing students, resulting in less funding for school districts because the school aid formula is based primarily on enrollment. This is made worse by some counties not being able to secure enough votes to pass school taxes or bonds.
Counties like Marion County are seeing fewer homeschooled students, and their total staff numbers far exceed what the state funding program can provide.
Additionally, COVID-19 pandemic funding provided financial relief to West Virginia schools, but this funding is set to expire at the end of September. Approximately 1,500 public school jobs are supported through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Act.
Beyond funding, chronic absenteeism is a big problem, as is behavioral problems so severe that a bill nearly passed this year that would make it easier to suspend elementary school students or expel them to alternative learning programs means some county school systems don't even have those programs in place.
Where will the funding come from to create these programs?
Our most rural schools, especially those most affected by the opioid epidemic, are facing the greatest challenges, and we don’t know how much longer it will take for families who need federally mandated but undelivered services to take legal action to get the Recht decision reviewed.
If public education is important to you, be sure to tune in. The West Virginia Department of Education creates a data snapshot each year on October 1st. Keep an eye on this snapshot to see the latest enrollment numbers. You can also now stream county school board meetings.
So that's my message for now: please be unwavering in your support of the children and caregivers in your community, the next few months are going to be a real rollercoaster ride for you all.
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