Mountain State Times

The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) collaborated with Chestnut Mountain Village to inaugurate the first public county CarePortal in Morgantown on April 10, 2025. This development aims to forge connections between local communities, faith-based entities, and public agencies, enhancing support for children and families in need.

"We are creating a more connected, supportive system where communities are empowered to prevent children from entering the welfare system," stated Alex Mayer, Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Human Services. "Through CarePortal, families in need can receive support from the faith community and local partners, helping them stay together and thrive.”

CarePortal is an online platform designed to link child welfare workers and families with faith-based organizations and community groups, attending to urgent needs such as furniture, clothing, transportation, and childcare. Professionals engaged with the Family Support Center (FSC), social workers, and other child-serving personnel can directly place requests for assistance on the platform. Local churches and volunteer groups can respond promptly to these needs, providing immediate aid to help keep families together and reduce unnecessary foster placements.

"CarePortal is more than just a technology platform, it's a bridge that connects people who want to help with children and families who need support," mentioned Greg Clutter, Director of Foster Care Initiatives at Chestnut Mountain Village. "This initiative is about rallying communities to take an active role in strengthening families, preventing unnecessary foster care placements, and ensuring that every child in West Virginia has the opportunity to grow up in a safe and loving home."

By aligning DoHS’s various bureaus with the faith community, the CarePortal launch stands as a cooperative effort to bolster family preservation in West Virginia. The platform seeks to curb the entry of children into the welfare system by empowering congregations and community members to provide necessary resources. Beyond the immediate assistance, CarePortal helps establish a more robust family support network by connecting families to services they might otherwise lack access to.

Following CarePortal's launch, DoHS and Chestnut Mountain Village will continue supporting children and families at the 2025 All In Foster Care Summit on May 7, 2025, at River Ridge Church in Charleston. This annual event, organized by Chestnut Mountain Village, brings together foster families, church leaders, child welfare professionals, and community members to guide a community-based response to foster care and acknowledge the essential contributions of foster families.