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Fewer Kids in Care But Crisis for Special Needs | Clarksburg News
West Virginia’s foster care numbers are dropping — over 300 fewer kids in 2025-26 — thanks to more family reunifications. But behind the good news? A critical shortage of specialized placements for older kids with behavioral and mental health needs. Nineteen percent of state care kids require intensive support, yet only six percent get it at home. Most must leave the state — 94% for psychiatric care alone — as local beds vanish due to staffing and facility gaps. Even autism programs are full with waitlists. Officials are pushing to build more local options, especially for teen boys, and…
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