WV State Bar Joint Service Project Supports Mission WV Programs
September 2022: The West Virginia (WV) State Bar Board of Governors (BOG) and Young Lawyers Section are spearheading a joint service project to raise funds for Mission WV’s emergency fund. Proceeds from the campaign will help fund Mission WV’s efforts to support children in foster and kinship care and the families who nurture and provide for them.
Throughout September, the state bar groups are encouraging members of the legal community and others to donate to Mission WV.
Mission West Virginia hosts 10th Walk With Me event
May 2022: More than 300 people threw on their sneakers and headed to Appalachian Power Park in Charleston on Saturday to support youth in foster care. It marked the 10th year for Mission West Virginia's Walk With Me 5K.
"What every human wants is just love, safety and permanency," Marketing Director Kylee Hassan said. "Foster families in West Virginia can provide that for these children."
59News Beckley: Supplying the front lines in the fight for efficient foster care
May 2022: The role of a foster parent can be difficult but can come with many rewards. So how does one start the process to become a foster parent? In the video above 59 News Photojournalist Larry Marrs took a dive into that process.
Mission West Virginia in Hurricane is a non-profit organization that helps future foster parents start the process. The organization gives future parents in all fifty-five counties information on potential foster care agencies and answers any questions prospective parents may have.
WSAZ: National Foster Care Month
May 2022: Marketing Director, Kylee Hassan, sits down to WSAZ Studio 3 to talk about National Foster Care Month and upcoming event Walk With Me…For Youth In Foster Care.
Kids in Care: Why A Foster Child Caring For Their Siblings Might Not Feel Grateful For Foster Parent's Help
April 2022 - Submitted by FrameWorks Director, Rachel Kinder
An employee of our agency, Mission West Virginia, recently had a conversation with a new foster mother at her church. She had a placement of a sibling group and was having trouble understanding why the oldest child still felt that she needed to take care of her younger siblings, even though it was no longer necessary. This is a common misconception, that a child would be relieved to be free of caregiving duties. Another is that a child would be expected to feel rescued or grateful for their placement in foster care. To better understand children in care, it can be helpful to explore the system from the child’s perspective.
FrameWorks Director, Rachel Kinder
Kids in Care: Let’s Acknowledge Relatives Caring For Kids
January 2022 - Submitted by FrameWorks Director, Rachel Kinder
Relative placements are better for our youth in care and better for our state as they are providing families for over half of the youth in foster care in a state with an ongoing shortage of foster homes. We need to acknowledge the sacrifices that these families are making and provide all necessary support that will allow them to best provide for the youth in their care. Grandparent families often need extra support because they are providing care with no notice, on fixed incomes and with fewer resources than foster families.
FrameWorks Director, Rachel Kinder
2021
Kids in Care: Answering the call to help
December 2021 - Submitted by FrameWorks Director, Rachel Kinder
Holiday preparation at our agency is always a mix of emotions. Our staff work hard throughout the month in anticipation of spending time at home with our families, while at the same time, working with children and teens who will spend the holidays away from home.
FrameWorks Director, Rachel Kinder
WCHS: 'There's a lot of love at our house:' Roane family reflects on adopting six kids
November 2021 - The Beckers have grown their Roane County family from four to 10. In the last five years, Miriam and her husband have adopted six kids.
Marketing Director, Kylee Hassan, sits and reads with the Becker family
MetroNews: Social service officials look to raise awareness during National Adoption Month in November
November 2021 - Leaders gathered in Kanawha County for an event hosted by Mission West Virginia, U. S. Attorney Will Thompson’s office and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) to spotlight the need for adoptive families for West Virginia youth in foster care.
Mission WV staff with United States Attorney, William Thompson
WOWK: National Adoption Month
November 2021 - WOWK Reporter interviews FrameWorks Marketing Director about what Mission WV is doing to raise awareness during the month of November.
WSAZ: National Adoption Month
November 2021 - Mission West Virginia has been helping families with foster care and adoption for nearly 25 years. With over 7,000 children in foster care in West Virginia, and many teens aging out each year, Mission WV continues to work tirelessly in our mission to find every child a loving family. While the primary goal of foster care is to reunify families, permanency and adoption is almost always the secondary goal for children and teens who cannot safely return to their families.
Kids in Care: Answering the call to help
November 2021 - Submitted by FrameWorks Director, Rachel Kinder
The observation of National Adoption month often has multiple purposes: to bring understanding and focus to the topic of adoption through the foster care system, to honor adoptive families and workers and to find families for waiting children.
FrameWorks Director, Rachel Kinder
October 2021 - Library Television Network : Mission West Virginia show
Kids in Care: Answering the call to help
September 2021 - Submitted by FrameWorks Director, Rachel Kinder
“I saw a sign about needing foster parents,” is frequent call received at my agency, where we are tasked with recruiting foster parents statewide.
FrameWorks Director, Rachel Kinder
August 2021 - Library Television Network : Mission West Virginia show
Kids in Care: Foster closets help fill needs for families caring for children in care
August 2021 - Submitted by FrameWorks Program Director, Rachel Kinder
Foster closets generally have a wide range of items including clothing, baby equipment, hygiene items, beds, bedding, luggage, car seats and other items needed by families. They are commonly located in churches or other donated space and are almost always run by volunteers. Foster closets may be seen as a more formal extension of what parents and foster parents have always done — share and pass around clothing and baby items informally.
FrameWorks Director, Rachel Kinder
July 2021 - Library Television Network : Mission West Virginia show
Kids in Care: When grandparents (and other relatives) become parents
July 2021 - Submitted by FrameWorks Program Director, Rachel Kinder
Grandparents throughout West Virginia are raising their grandchildren in increasingly large numbers. According to the May legislative foster care report, there are currently 6,916 children and teens in foster care in West Virginia. Of those, 3,682 are in a kinship or relative placement — meaning that over half of our young people in foster care have been able to remain in the care of relatives or individuals known to them (kinship) even after entering state custody.
WTRF: Take a look at this! Original Artwork hand-crafted by foster care kids on display until tomorrow
July 2021 - Take a look at this! This original artwork is not handcrafted by any artist you’ve heard of before, but by kids in foster care. It’s a way a self-expression. As part of a Mission West Virginia project, they’re show-casing self-portraits of the kids. Mission West Virginia, and all those behind this project are very proud of the kids! They’re all so different… some you may call “abstract”.
Kids in Care: Graduating despite the odds
June 2021 - Charleston Gazette submitted by FrameWorks Program Director, Rachel Kinder
It’s graduation season and our agency is celebrating the graduations of eight teens in foster care served through our programming. Through many circumstances out of their control, youth in foster care encounter extra barriers to succeeding educationally and graduating from high school. Due to these circumstances, they are more likely than their peers to change schools (resulting in learning loss with each move), have absences and need special education services. They are also less likely to graduate from high school.
Kids in Care: Children in foster care are 'more than a foster youth'
May 2021 - Charleston Gazette submitted by FrameWorks Program Director, Rachel Kinder
The goal of our May exhibit is to help the public understand the strength, resiliency and dreams of youth in care. They have goals to grow up in healthy families, to build on their strengths and talents and to create safe and happy families of their own one day.
WSAZ: National Foster Care Day
May 2021 - Frameworks Marketing Director, Kylee Hassan, sits down with WSAZ to talk about National Foster Care month and the need for foster families in West Virginia.
WOWK: West Virginia ranked number six in teen pregnancy rates
May 2021 - In 2019, almost 1,300 teens in West Virginia became mothers. This pushed the state to have the sixth-highest pregnancy rate in the country.
One organization in the Mountain State, THINK through Mission West Virginia, is working to turn those numbers around.
Herald Dispatch: Valley Park hosts exhibit featuring art created by kids in foster care
May 2021 - Those interested in viewing the display locally will be able to view the art in Hurricane at Valley Park through May 14. Throughout May and June, the exhibit will rotate to three additional locations throughout West Virginia.
WOWk: ‘More Than a Foster Youth’- Celebrating National Foster Care Month
May 2021 - May is National Foster Care Month! So, to kick things off, Mission West Virginia came up with a creative way to celebrate and bring awareness to the foster care system in West Virginia.
“More Than a Foster Youth” is this year’s theme in the Mountain State.
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption: A FOREVER FAMILY FOR ZACH
January 2021 - Check out Mission WV's own Carol Phipps! Carol works hard every day to find loving families for children waiting for adoption.
Through Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption funds adoption recruiters, like Carol, who implement a model that is proven to be up to 3x more effective at finding forever families for children in foster care who are most often overlooked: teenagers, children with special needs and siblings.
WSAZ: Becoming a foster parent and resources available with Mission WV
January 2021 - It's no secret that life has changed for all of us during the pandemic but now more than ever there's a need for more foster families in West Virginia. Mission West Virginia can help you get started.
2020
WSAZ: MORE FOSTER FAMILIES NEEDED IN WEST VIRGINIA
December 2020 - Many agencies are adapting the process during the COVID-19 pandemic to make it easier on families, including letting potential foster parents work at their own pace and allowing for training to be done online, which can help with transportation or childcare constraints.
NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH
November 2020 - November is National Adoption Month, a month set aside for a national effort to raise awareness of more than 100,000 children in foster care in the U.S. who are waiting for a safe and loving family to adopt them. There are approximately 7,000 children in the West Virginia foster care system.
TEEN GAMBLING AWARENESS GRANT
October 2020 - We are excited to announce that the Sherman High School SADD Chapter in collaboration with Mission WV has received a youth a Teen Gambling Awareness grant through 1-800-GAMBLER.
The group plans to promote gambling prevention by utilizing their social media accounts. Additionally, they plan to participate in local health and school events, create gambling prevention resource information posts and handouts, host student-led events at the local high school during lunch and recreation periods, administer the youth gambling survey, attend school sporting events to distribute prevention information and utilize the curriculum to educate classmates and community members about the importance of gambling prevention.
HOW POVERTY CAN CAUSE PHYSICAL CHANGES TO THE BRAIN
June 2020 - Jessica Sharp, Founder and Chief Educator at Sharp Brain Consulting, held a webinar hosted by Mission West Virginia called “Poverty and the Brain,” where Sharp explained how living in poverty can cause physical changes to the brain.
WCHS: FOSTER FAMILIES STILL NEEDED DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
April 2020 - There are more than 7,000 children in West Virginia's foster care system, and the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way some foster care workers do their jobs.
THE HERALD DISPATCH: MISSION WV GATHERING FOSTER FAMILY STORIES
April 2020 - May is National Foster Care month and Mission West Virginia is hoping to inspire families to consider becoming foster or adoptive parents.
THE REGISTER HERALD: ADOPTION MONTH CELEBRATED IN BECKLEY
November 2020 - National Adoption Month will continue to be celebrated in Beckley with the creation of a holiday village display, representing all those who make up the foster care and adoption community.
WOWK INSIDE WV POLITICS: “MISSION WEST VIRGINIA TALKS NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH”
November 2020 - Kylee Hassan from Mission West Virginia stops by to talk about National Adoption Month.
‘GOD CHANGED HIS HEART’: A FAMILY WELCOMES A FOSTER CHILD
November 2020 - November is National Adoption Month. This story profiles one family’s journey to an unexpected place.
WOWK: NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH CELEBRATED AT WEST VIRGINIA CAPITOL
November 2020 - November is National Adoption Month and Mission West Virginia is celebrating those in the foster care community in a big way. Monday they held their “It takes a village” event where they invited the public to decorate a house to put inside the village.
WCHS: MISSION WV CELEBRATES NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH WITH HOLIDAY VILLAGE DISPLAY
Mission WV wants to show that "It takes a village" to raise kids in the foster care and adoption communities.
KIDS IN CARE: WHERE ARE ALL THE CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE?
“So where are all the kids?”
With an ever-increasing focus on West Virginia’s opioid crisis and its effect on our foster care system, the average person probably understands that there are not enough foster families in our state to house all the children in care here — 7,095 according to the April 2019 Legislative Foster Care Placement Report.
When speaking to prospective foster families, we frequently answer questions about what happens to all the children who cannot live with their own families when there’s no foster family available.
LOCAL NONPROFIT ACQUIRES FUNDING TO IMPROVE STATE'S TEEN BIRTH RATE
Teen pregnancies in the United States are at an all-time low, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and yet West Virginia has one of the highest teen birth rates in the country.
The number of teen pregnancies for U.S. girls ages 15 to 19 is down 58 percent since 2007 and 72 percent since 1991, according to the CDC.
MISSION WV AWARDED PREGNANCY PREVENTION GRANT
Mission WV’s Teaching Health Instead of Nagging Kids (THINK) program has been awarded a 2-year Teen Pregnancy Prevention grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs to ensure high school-aged youth are provided with the life skills training they need to make important life decisions. Mission WV will receive $492,000 per year of the grant, with a 2-year total of $984,000.
MISSION WV RECEIVES $984,000 GRANT TO COMBAT TEEN PREGNANCY
Nonprofit community-building organization Mission West Virginia has been awarded a $984,000, two-year grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Population Affairs to help with pregnancy prevention efforts throughout the state.
MISSION WV RECEIVES FUNDING TO BRING EVIDENCE-BASED TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAMMING TO MORE YOUTH ACROSS WV
Mission WVs’ Teaching Health Instead of Nagging Kids (THINK) program has been awarded a two year Teen Pregnancy Prevention grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs to ensure high school aged youth are provided with the life skills training they need to make important life decisions. Mission WV will receive $492,000 per year of the grant, with a two year total of $984,000.
KIDS IN CARE: FACING THE FEARS OF FOSTERING A CHILD
The Gazette-Mail is launching Kids in Care, a new monthly column to spotlight the high hopes and, at times, overwhelming challenges that are both a part of West Virginia’s foster care system. This is the first installment.
CRUCIAL NEED FOR W.VA. FOSTER FAMILIES
This is a crucial time in our state, and we need to take action to ensure that every child and youth has what we all want — a safe and loving family. Together, we can ensure that the child welfare system is dedicated to finding and supporting a family for every child.
APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR COLLEGE SAVINGS AWARDS
Mission West Virginia, in combination with State Treasurer John Perdue’s office, is now taking applications for the fifth annual Smart Start awards, following a banner year from its fundraising event.
RITTER PARK TO HOST 'INSTANT FAMILY' MOVIE NIGHT
In honor of National Foster Care Month the Greater Huntington Park & Recreation District is joining hands with Mission West Virginia, United Bank, and New Huntington Church to host "Instant Family" Movie Night in Ritter Park Friday, May 24, in Shelter No. 2.
RITTER PARK MOVIE NIGHT HOPES TO SPUR NEW FOSTER PARENTS AMID CRISIS SITUATION
Four hundred fifty-three American flags planted this week in Ritter Park are a stark reminder of every child currently in need of a foster family in Cabell County.
RITTER PARK FLAG DISPLAY SHOW STAGGERING NUMBER OF KIDS IN FOSTER CARE IN CABELL COUNTY
Hundreds of flags are standing tall at Ritter park in Huntington in honor of Memorial Day and Foster Care Awareness Month.
W.VA. COUPLE BECOMES PARENTS OF 3 IN 22 HOURS
For as far back as she can remember, Beth Todd wanted to be a mom.
"I was the little girl who took her dolls everywhere. I had a car seat, I had a diaper bag, I had shoes, I had bottles, I had empty jars of baby food, and I took care of these babies like they were really babies," she said.
GLAM GALA RAISES THOUSANDS FOR FOSTER CARE
More than 230 women came together to dance the night away and help raise money for Mission WV, a nonprofit organization that provides support and services to children in foster care, during the GLAM Gala charity event at the Valley Park Conference Center on Friday, May 17.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR UPCOMING GLAM GALA TO HELP CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE
GLAM Gala (formerly known as MOM Prom) is an annual charity event hosted by MOMS Club of Teays Valley.
GLAM stands for Generous Ladies on A Mission. The gala brings together GLAMorous women who are 21 and older for a ladies' night out combining both fun with philanthropy. The formal event features dancing, drinks, and hors d'oeuvres.
HUNDREDS GATHER TO DISCUSS MANY IMPORTANT ISSUES INCLUDING TEEN PREGNANCY
Hundreds of people from healthcare professionals and teachers gathered at the Resort at Glade Springs for an annual MISSION West Virginia THINK Conference. This year's conference theme is breaking the cycle when it comes to teen pregnancy.
THINK CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS: WAYS TO ACHIEVE POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR WV YOUTH
As the THINK Conference kicked off Wednesday morning at Glade Springs Resort, presenters shared a resounding message — active participants in the lives of young people can make a world of difference.
"One person can change everything," shared keynote speaker Rhonda Sciortino, with the Successful Survivors Foundation. "I know it because I'm a living example."
Published by the Register Herald
THINK CONFERENCE SET FOR APRIL 10TH AND 11TH AT GLADE SPRINGS RESORT
Mission WV will host its annual THINK Conference this Wednesday and Thursday at Glade Springs Resort. Attendees have the opportunity to learn best practices from experts in their field on topics related to human trafficking, drug trends, suicide prevention, Juuling, STIs, cyber security and more. Conference participants will also get to network with other professionals working with youth.
Published by the Register Herald
MISSION WV CONDUCTING DONATION DRIVE FOR CAMP APPALACHIA
Mission WV is having a donation drive to support campers attending Camp Appalachia overnight camps.
Located in Scott Depot, Camp Appalachia is a yearlong camp whose target camper is a child between the ages of 7 and 17 and is at a high risk for destructive life choices. The camp provides a little- to no-cost resident camp experience to youths who are directly affected by the opioid epidemic, children in the foster care system and children who have one or more parents incarcerated.
Published by the Putnam Review
MISSION WV TO HOST OPEN HOUSE
Summary: Mission WV will host its 2018 Christmas Open House on Thursday, Dec. 20. The event is open to organizations and businesses across the state, supporters, family, friends and the general public. Participants can drop in anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Mission WV headquarters, 168 Midland Trail, Suite 1 in Hurricane (in the back portion of the H&R Block building).
Published by The Herald - Dispatch
PREPARING YOUTH FOR SUCCESS IN WEST VIRGINIA
Summary: Mission West Virginia's THINK program is working to equip youth with the tools to successfully transition into adulthood and to become self-sufficient.
Published by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services
FOSTER FAMILIES ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR COLLEGE FUNDING
Summary: Article about Mission West Virginia's partnership with the State Treasurer's Office for the fourth annual Smart Start awards - a program which, in its first three years, has provided 31 children with more than $37,000 toward their college careers.
Published by The Register-Herald of Beckley, West Virginia
MISSION WEST VIRGINIA HOSTS FOSTER FAMILY OPEN HOUSE
Summary: Mission West Virginia's FrameWorks program hosted an Open House at Glenville Presbyterian Church. With nearly 7,000 kids in foster care and approximately 13,000 foster families, there is a need for more foster families.
Published by WBOY News
LEARNING ABOUT FOSTER CARE
Summary: Mission West Virginia and the Mason County Family Resource Network joined together to host a foster care/adoption informational open house in Point Pleasant. Judge Tatterson spoke about the need for foster families within the county and what he sees and experiences within the county.
Published by the Point Pleasant Register
A RISING NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE
Summary: An article about the need for foster families, specifically in Upshur County where at the time of the article there were only 12 foster families and more than 100 children in foster care in the county.
Published by WDTV 5 News