On June 3, 2022, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources debuted its “Child Welfare Dashboard” on the Department’s website. According to press reports, the goal of the Dashboard is to provide the public with more information about what is being done in the realm of West Virginia Child Welfare. The Dashboard will be updated monthly.
The initial Dashboard focuses on foster care statistics and workforce data. Foster care statistics include total children statewide and by county (based upon the child’s worker location), as well as, the type of placement, placement location (in-state or out of state) age groups, and gender of children in care. Workforce data is largely focused on vacancy rates for child protective service and social service workers statewide and by county.
This initial Dashboard is valuable information and a solid start at providing transparency and bringing awareness to child welfare issues both statewide and locally.
We are hopeful that the Dashboard continues to evolve to include additional and more actionable data. Such data would be organized into information valuable for leaders and communities to make solid decisions about needs and action impacts. That being said, the Dashboard is an admirable beginning. We look forward to its continued evolution.
The most current West Virginia Child Welfare Dashboard can be viewed at the link below: