In West Virginia there are at least an estimated 25,000 families caring for children who are not living with their biological parents. That’s according to the U.S. Census Bureau and current data on certified foster parents in this state. This number includes grandparents and other relatives, foster families and caregivers who had a prior relationship with a child but are not related to them.
Some of the children are in the custody of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources; many are not but are living away from their first families more informally.
There are also many additional families raising children they have adopted.
If you are one of these families — whether by choice or necessity — you may find yourself wondering where you can turn to find help, locate services to assist you and the children in your home, connect with others in similar situations, and make your voice heard in system reform efforts. The West Virginia Foster Adoptive & Kinship Parents Network was created to assist with these needs.
As a former foster and now adoptive parent, I am intimately familiar with the joys and challenges faced by caregivers in our child welfare system. That is why in 2018 I began building a statewide network of foster, adoptive, and kinship parents with a vision to support caregivers and work to reform and strengthen the system to help families. The Network is a resource for all types of caregivers including certified foster families, formal and informal kin, and adoptive families no longer fostering. We serve families across agency and county lines.
With nearly 7,000 children currently in foster care, West Virginia has the highest per capita number of children in foster care and the highest rate of children who are removed from their birth families. There are several reasons for these statistics, including opioids, poverty, resource and service deficits, and insufficient investment in child abuse prevention programs. Regardless of the reasons, children need well-supported caregivers to help them thrive.
What do families need to help children thrive?
Whether through formal research efforts or our daily interactions with individual families, the two needs we hear most from families are for peer support and assistance with advocacy. In 2019 the Network partnered with DHHR and Marshall University to conduct a survey of foster, adoptive, and kinship parents in West Virginia. Over 70% of respondents felt that peer support was important, but nearly one-third indicated that they did not have access to peer support. The Network is working to change that.
Uniquely, the Network’s services are provided by caregivers for caregivers — peer support offered through the lens of lived experience. With over 1,200 members, we provide peer support in a variety of ways:
- Private Facebook group exclusively for caregivers where families can connect and help each other with questions ranging from parenting techniques to available services
- Peer-led support groups discussing a variety of topics including parenting teens, adoptive parents, new to fostering, grief support, LGBTQIA+ families, and caring for children with disabilities
- Individual support by answering questions, referring to resources, and providing a listening ear.
When asked about the value of peer support, one member said, “When you have someone that can relate to you, understand, and help shoulder the weight of the journey, outcomes are better.” Another said of the Network, “I have been alone and had nowhere to find answers or help. I joined this support family and y’all have been a Godsend.”
The second most common request we hear from families is for assistance with advocacy. Caregivers want to have a voice in the system in which they have volunteered to serve. Many families express frustration with the child welfare system. By bringing families together, the Network has helped families effect change through legislative and systems advocacy while supporting families in their individual advocacy efforts. We successfully advocated for the passage of several foster care reform bills in the 2019 and 2020 legislative sessions.
The Network collects a great deal of information about the daily experiences of caregivers in our child welfare system. As the director of the Network, I regularly attend meetings with decision-makers where I express questions and concerns raised by Network members and learn about new programs or changes coming to the system. I then share answers and new information with Network members to help them best care for the children in their homes.
The Network also provides training opportunities for members. We host a weekly virtual forum for learning about changes or current issues in the system. This meeting often includes speakers who share about resources and programs that can support families. We will also be hosting our first annual conference in May. The conference will be held virtually on the evenings of May 4, 6, 11 and 13. Each evening will include a keynote speaker and three simultaneous breakout sessions. On May 15, we will conclude the conference with time for families to connect and attend a support group of their choice.
Foster, adoptive and kinship families interested in joining the Network should search Facebook for “WV Foster Adoptive & Kinship Parents Network”, then answer the questions to be approved. This group is exclusively for caregivers. More information about the Network is available at wvfosterparents.org or by email at wvfakpn@gmail.com.
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