WOWK – West Virginia has the highest rate of foster children in the nation, and advocates are again calling for more help. Some have called the foster care system a crisis, and it’s certain to be one of the top three issues when the legislature convenes in January.
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For every 1,000 children in West Virginia, 13 of them are in foster care. That makes the Mountain State number one in the nation, and in fact, the rate here is twice as high as the second-place state.
The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy authored this study. It recommends creating a state child tax credit for kids, just like the federal government does; providing more SNAP and TANF benefit so low-income families get food and cash assistance; and providing more substance abuse treatment for parents before their children are placed into foster care.
