BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. - Governor Patrick Morrisey today announced the reopening of the former Barboursville School as a residential treatment facility, establishing a model to expand in-state treatment options and bring more West Virginia children home to their families and communities.
Watch the Governor’s announcement here.
“Bringing our children home has been one of my highest priorities since taking office,” said Governor Morrisey. “For too long, our kids were sent hundreds or even thousands of miles away to receive the care they need. Reopening Barboursville is an important step toward changing that, and our goal is to replicate this approach across West Virginia so we can bring all our children home.”
The state entered into a five-year lease with Youth Health Associates (YHA) to reopen the facility, which previously served children for nearly 40 years. YHA has already hired a facility director and is recruiting additional staff. Once fully operational, the campus will accommodate up to 36 children and create approximately 50 to 60 jobs. The facility will begin admitting children in early 2027, with many of the beds projected to be filled by the end of March.
The Barboursville facility will serve as a model for similar facilities throughout West Virginia, advancing the Governor's A Home for Every Child initiative. Additional announcements are expected in the coming weeks and months. Earlier this year, approximately 400 West Virginia children were receiving residential treatment out of state. As of early November, that number had declined to 372.
Governor Morrisey also announced that beginning January 1, 2027, West Virginia will end its longstanding practice of applying Social Security survivor benefits belonging to children in foster care toward the state's foster care costs. Instead, those funds will be preserved for the children who receive them, helping provide a financial foundation as they transition into adulthood.
“West Virginia’s decision to end the orphan tax marks a major milestone in our nationwide effort to ensure foster children receive the federal benefits they rightfully deserve. As the latest state to preserve survivor benefits for foster youth, West Virginia is protecting children who have already experienced significant loss and hardship," said Administration for Children and Families Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams. "I applaud Governor Morrisey for this step in the right direction and urge the 10 remaining states to end the orphan tax and do what is best for vulnerable youth in state care.”
“When a child loses a parent, the benefits they receive should help provide a foundation for their future,” said Governor Morrisey. “We're ending a longstanding practice and making sure those funds remain available to the children who need them. It's another important step toward giving West Virginia's children the support and opportunities they deserve.”
Approximately 42 West Virginia children in foster care receive survivor benefits totaling about $402,700 annually. The change will be implemented through executive action and complements the federal Fostering the Future initiative.