Pre-Service Training

All prospective foster and adoptive families, including relatives/kin, must complete the 30-hour National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents (NTDC). West Virginia contracts with member schools of the West Virginia Social Work Education Consortium (SWEC) to provide most of its parent training. SWEC also trains some of the provider agency homes, although some agencies have chosen to become certified as NTDC trainers and train their own foster parents.  

Relative caregivers may be approved without completion of the pre-service training. Relatives must complete NTDC training within six months of the initiation of the home study. 

Services Offered Through the State’s Post-Permanency Support Program

West Virginia does not offer a specific post-permanency program unique to adoptive and guardianship families. Department of Human Services (DoHS) staff provide linkage and referral to necessary services and work with families to increase adoption or guardianship subsidies if there’s a significant need that isn’t being covered. 

DoHS seeks to ensure that adoptive and guardianship families are aware of the family preservation services available to all of the state’s families who are at risk of serious instability. These general family preservation services, provided by contracted private agencies throughout the state, can include assessment, case management, crisis response, respite, parenting support, financial support, Functional Family Therapy, home visiting, and the Safe at Home program. 

In addition, the state’s managed care organization for Medicaid—Mountain Health Promise—has specific care coordination to support adoptive families. Post-adoption care coordinators reach out every 90 days to adoptive families and, when families have a specific need, help them access specific services. This support would be available to all adoptive families receiving subsidies unless they have opted out of Mountain Health Promise.  

 

Eligible Population for the Overall Post-Permanency Program

Not applicable.

Accessability

Mountain Health Promise and the family preservation providers are required to provide families with interpreters if needed. DoHS contracts with an interpreter service provider to work with families and provide aid with culturally responsive and linguistic assistance 

Outreach and Engagement

DoHS reaches out to families after finalization by sending a Congratulations packet, which provides information on adoption or guardianship subsidy, a variety of services the family may qualify for, and how to access those services. 

Mountain Health Promise reaches out to the families of children on its health plan every 90 days to determine if the family needs additional services.  

 DoHS also educates medical providers statewide about the availability of additional services, including mental health services, to support all types of families who are struggling. 

 

How the Post-Permanency Program Is Operated

Not applicable.

Adoption/Guardianship Assistance/Subsidy Review and Changes

The state reviews adoption and guardianship subsidy agreements only when a youth turns 18, 19, and 20 to determine eligibility for extended adoption subsidy. 

If adoptive parents or guardians want to request a change in their assistance payments, they must contact the office of Children and Adult Services. Subsidy increases are only considered in circumstances when a special needs child has extraordinary medical expenses that are not covered by Medicaid or the family’s insurance, and the child is not eligible for Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) waiver or is on the waitlist for the waiver.  

Tracking Adoption/Guardianship Discontinuity

DoHS requests information each year from district offices about any intercountry adoptions that disrupted or dissolved during the year. This information is reported in the Annual Progress and Services Report.  

Post-Permanency Program Spending (FY 2023)

Not applicable.

Funding Sources for the Post-Permanency Program (FY 2023)

Not applicable.