Need Help Navigating the West Virginia Foster Care System?
Contribution by Pamela M. Woodman-Kaehler, Foster Care Ombudsman
With more than 6,000 children in foster care in West Virginia and over half of those children living with family or kin, questions or concerns about the foster care system may arise. Whether you are caring for young ones or considering becoming a foster parent, or are impacted by the foster care or child welfare system in another way, the Foster Care Ombudsman may be able to help.
The Foster Care Ombudsman (FCO) was established in 2019 by the West Virginia Legislature through House Bill 2010 then furthered in 2020 by House Bill 4094. The FCO is an independent, impartial, and confidential resource that advocates for the rights of foster children and foster/kinship parents, investigates and resolves complaints, and makes recommendations and proposals for systemic reform. Led by office director Pamela M. Woodman-Kaehler and deputy director Elizabeth M. Hardy, the FCO is one of several programs within the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ Office of Inspector General. The FCO program is staffed by a knowledgeable, passionate team that includes current and former foster parents, adoptive parents, and individuals with professional experience in child welfare, criminal justice, accounting, social services, and childcare. This diverse mix of perspectives allows the FCO team to examine complaints impartially, creatively, and compassionately.
The objectives of the FCO may best be understood through the FCO vision statement: The Foster Care Ombudsman envisions an empathetic, healing, and accountable child welfare system where voices are heard, people are empowered, and systems are responsive. Assistance from the FCO may differ situationally, but always offers information, education, or intervention. The FCO does educate, assist, advocate, negotiate, observe, and suggest; the FCO does not direct, manage, instruct, order, overrule, enforce, or discipline.
The FCO is authorized by state law (W. Va. Code §9-5-27 and §49-9-101) to investigate and resolve complaints against the foster care state agency, service providers, and managed care organizations. Common complaint themes include lack of communication, action or inaction of an agency or employee, placement and/or removal of a foster child, and reimbursement issues. Oftentimes, validated complaints are resolved by corrected payments issued, communication gaps bridged, solutions negotiated, and education provided about applicable child welfare policies.
“It has been said that the value of complaints is well-hidden because the package is unattractive,” Ms. Woodman-Kaehler said. “Hearing and reading the content of child welfare complaints is understandably disturbing and often maddening. However, complaints should be regarded as critical intelligence to inform how well-intended efforts are delivered and received.” In other words, we may not want to hear complaints, but we need to hear them, respond to them, and learn from them. As a result of the valuable input from those served by the foster care system, the FCO makes recommendations for improvements to policy, practice, and law.
If you or someone you know has a concern, comment, or complaint about the West Virginia foster care system, the FCO would be pleased to assist you. Contact the FCO by calling 304-558-1117, emailing FosterCareOmbudsman@wv.gov, or using the online Request for Assistance form at https://www.wvdhhr.org/oig/fco.html