By Steven Allen Adams, Parkersburg News and Sentinel
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The agency charged with investigating abuse and neglect cases involving children is having issues keeping up with increased caseloads as the opioid crisis continues.
Lawmakers on the Post Audits Subcommittee heard a report Tuesday from the Legislative Auditor’s Office on Child Protective Services, an agency within the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
Protective Services is charged with investigating all reports of abuse and neglect of children and provides counseling to children and families, connects families to state resources, places children in foster care, finds permanent homes for children and helps adult children transition out of foster care.
According to the audit, the agency is unable to meet statutorily required timeframes for investigating abuse and neglect cases. In 2018 cases, Child Protective Services was only able to meet the timeframes 50 percent of the time. …
