In an effort to address a critical staffing shortage within the child protective services department of West Virginia, a judge has ordered the new chief of a state agency and several of his subordinates to serve as CPS workers. Circuit Judge Timothy Sweeney issued the order, requiring them to report to a hearing to receive case assignments or face contempt charges.
The officials, including the newly appointed secretary of the Department of Human Services, were designated as case workers within Child Protective Services to alleviate understaffing in a specific district. The move comes amidst an ongoing crisis in the state’s child welfare workforce, with a 17% vacancy rate for CPS workers and 82 open positions.
The judge highlighted the immediate and critical threat to at-risk children posed by the lack of staffing in CPS. The state has been facing challenges in protecting children and managing an overwhelmed foster care system, as indicated by an ongoing federal lawsuit. Approximately 6,100 children are currently under state care, with one-third of in-state placements being with relatives acting as certified foster parents.
Judge Sweeney emphasized his commitment to addressing the crisis and taking responsibility for the situation. The order was first reported by The Parkersburg News and Sentinel, drawing attention to the urgency of the staffing shortage within West Virginia’s child protective services.
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