CHARLESTON — Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Tuesday pledged to overhaul West Virginia’s approach to child welfare transparency, promising a more open and accountable system in the wake of high-profile failures and systemic shortcomings.
Morrisey said the initiative follows a series of listening sessions with stakeholders across the state and a comprehensive review of child fatalities and near-fatalities involving children in state custody.
“In previous years, the state stonewalled about the status of children in its care – and that changes now,” Morrisey said during a briefing with reporters. According to the state’s child welfare dashboard, more than 6,000 children are currently in state custody.
The announcement comes amid mounting scrutiny of West Virginia’s child protective services, particularly after disturbing cases involving child deaths and abuse surfaced in recent years.
In one such case, 14-year-old Kynnedi Miller was found dead on the bathroom floor of her Boone County home, reportedly “emaciated to a skeletal state.” Investigators said the teen had not attended school since 2019 or 2020 and had rarely been outside in the years leading up to her death.
The state’s response to Miller’s case drew intense media attention. Reporters were seen chasing members of former Gov. Jim Justice’s administration through the Capitol halls seeking answers. When WSAZ-TV finally secured an interview with Department of Human Services Secretary Cynthia Persily, she stated Child Protective Services (CPS) had no prior history with the teen. However, WSAZ later obtained an anonymous letter that contradicted that claim, revealing two CPS referrals involving Kynnedi—one in 2009 and another in 2017. The letter included specific intake numbers, dates, times, and the names of supervisors and workers assigned to those cases.
Another case involved a West Virginia couple convicted of child abuse, human trafficking and forced labor after locking their adopted children in a shed without access to water or proper bathroom facilities.
In both instances, advocates and the public questioned the responsiveness and oversight of the state’s child protective services.
Morrisey said his administration will adopt a new transparency policy that changes how the Department of Human Services interprets the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. The policy will require public disclosure of key information in cases involving child abuse or neglect that result in death or near-death.
“You’re not going to have to chase people down the hall,” Morrisey said. “This is a major change from the failures of the past.”
Other reforms announced by the governor include:
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An overhaul of the Child Welfare Dashboard to improve accessibility and clarity of data.
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Monthly case reviews by supervisors in collaboration with state office teams to identify areas for improvement.
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A new “Leadership Education and Development” initiative to better prepare supervisors within the department.
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Creation of a Critical Incident Review Team to thoroughly investigate every significant incident.
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Implementation of a Comprehensive Practice Model to standardize procedures across the state.
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Enhanced caseworker protocols to ensure more complete information gathering, rather than relying solely on initial referrals.
“We are rolling up our sleeves and getting to work,” Morrisey said. “West Virginians deserve a child welfare system that is transparent, accountable, and always puts the safety of children first.”
