News & Articles
Foster Care Placement Stability Through Church and Community Support
New research in the Journal of Public Child Welfare confirms what West Virginians are witnessing through local ministries every day. When churches and communities surround foster families with support, foster care placement stability improves and children experience the consistency and love they need to heal. The study, “Examining the Impact of Participation in a Foster…
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Chestnut Mountain Village and DoHS Expand CarePortal to offer community-based solutions to more West Virginia Families
9/17/2025West Virginia Department of Human Services After serving more than 270 children in Monongalia and Preston counties, Chestnut Mountain Village, in partnership with the West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), is expanding CarePortal into Harrison, Marion, Taylor, and Barbour counties. The technology platform connects caseworkers with local churches and community members who can respond directly…
How CarePortal Works
CarePortal is a care sharing technology that drives action for local children and families in crisis. Watch this short video to see how CarePortal connects local churches and community members to meet the urgent needs of children and families. Contact The Village today to learn how your church can be part of this life-changing work.…
When Foster Parents Feel Undervalued, Misled, and Isolated: What the Research Tells Us—and How Communities Can Respond
When Foster Parents Feel Undervalued, Misled, and Isolated: What the Research Tells Us—and How Communities Can Respond
MAN UP! Event: Answering the Call to Be Men of Impact
On Wednesday, August 27, 2025 men from across North Central West Virginia are invited to gather for “MAN-UP: Men of Impact!!!” at Trinity Assembly of God Church in Fairmont. This men’s event is designed to inspire, encourage, and challenge—while also giving men a chance to enjoy great food and fun together. The evening kicks off…
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Faith in Families 5K to Benefit Vulnerable Children and Families
Morgantown, WV — On Saturday, October 4, 2025, runners and walkers from across the region will gather in Morgantown for the Faith in Families 5K Run and Walk, organized and hosted by CMA Church of Morgantown, an event dedicated to supporting vulnerable children and families throughout West Virginia. Faith in Families 5k Info Hosted on…
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A Story of Flourishing: How Fostering and Adoption Can Transform Families
In conversations about foster care and adoption, we often focus on the immense challenges families face. The difficulties are real, and no one should pretend otherwise. But what if the story doesn’t end there? What if, in the long run, opening your home to a vulnerable child leads to a remarkable and profound sense of…
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The Right Kind of Help: Tools, Boots, and a Future
CarePortal: An example of helpful helping in real life. A young man who had spent time in foster care and aged out at 18 was working hard to build a better life. He had been given an opportunity to begin training for a job in the mining industry, but he needed help with the cost…
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Helpful Helping: Why Listening Comes Before Serving
Helpful Helping – Listening well is the key to make us more effective. It’s been quite a few years since my kids were small, but at one time I had two very energetic little boys and a baby girl all under the age of 5. They were fun and adorable, and I delighted to be…
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What If Foster Care Was Built to Heal?
What if the most transformative solutions in foster care don’t come from better policies or expanded programs—but from the restoration of broken relationships? That’s the core question posed by Praxis, a nonprofit that equips faith-driven founders and innovators to build ventures marked by justice, mercy, and lasting impact. In their recent publication, “A Redemptive Thesis…
Preston County to Launch Next Phase of CarePortal Initiative in West Virginia
Media Contacts:Greg Clutter, DirectorChestnut Mountain Village304-612-6265greg@chestnutmountainranch.orgAngel Hightower, Communication SpecialistWest Virginia Department of Human Services304-558-0684angelica.q.hightower@wv.govWhat:A public launch and celebration event introducing CarePortal to Preston County—only the second county launch of CarePortal in all of West Virginia. CarePortal is a technology platform that connects local churches with real-time needs of vulnerable children and families, empowering communities to…
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Building Trust for “More Than Enough” in West Virginia
In West Virginia, we can pursue a bold and achievable vision: More Than Enough for every child and family impacted by foster care. That means more than enough foster and kinship families, more than enough support for biological families, and more than enough wraparound care from churches and communities across our state. A vision like…
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Collective Impact and “More Than Enough”
Across the country, and especially in West Virginia, the foster care system is often described with the same words: not enough. Not enough foster families.Not enough support for biological parents.Not enough beds, caseworkers, or solutions. The More Than Enough vision, championed by CAFO (Christian Alliance for Orphans), offers a bold alternative: a future where every…
Faith, Family, and Community: Statewide Summit Rallies Support for West Virginia’s Foster Care System
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Premier statewide event offers continuing education for foster parents and social workers; unites faith, community, and child welfare leaders to support vulnerable children Charleston, W.Va. — West Virginia’s premier foster care summit returns for its fourth year this spring. The 2025 All In Foster Care Summit will be held Wednesday, May 7,…
Big News for WV Kids & Families!
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of CarePortal in Monongalia County — the very first countywide implementation in West Virginia! In partnership with the West Virginia Department of Human Services, Chestnut Mountain Village is now live with CarePortal in Monongalia County — connecting local churches to real-time needs of children and families in crisis. This…
Join the FIGHT!
Inspired by the powerful true story, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot follows Donna and Reverend Martin as they ignite a fire in the hearts of their rural church to embrace children in the foster care system who needed adoptive families, proving that steady, determined love can transform the lives of vulnerable children.…
About Us
Chestnut Mountain Village (‘The Village’), a ministry of Chestnut Mountain Ranch, is dedicated to creating Christ-centered communities to provide hope and homes for vulnerable kids and families. To do this, the Village guides and equips church partners to care for vulnerable children and families by providing a proven, step-by-step ministry model …