Parkersburg Area Community Foundation Executive Director Fred Rader addresses the Foundation’s annual meeting Friday at the Parkersburg Country Club. During the last fiscal year from July 2022 to June 2023, the PACF gave out over $4 million in grants and scholarships. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

VIENNA — West Virginia is in continuing need of families who can be foster parents, the Director of Social Services for the West Virginia Children’s Home Society said Friday.

Julia Kesler was the keynote speaker at the annual meeting for the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF) at the Parkersburg Country Club, the first annual meeting held in person since the start of COVID.

“Child welfare in West Virginia can be a little messy and a little complicated, but when everyone works together we can do some really wonderful things,” Kesler said. “Foster care is at a crisis point in our communities and the nation is struggling with it as well.

“West Virginia does have its challenges.”

From 2012 to 2021, the state’s population declined but the number of children entering the foster care system increased by 57% as the drug problem in West Virginia grew with more younger children (0-5-years-old) needing assistance.

Director of Social Services for the West Virginia Children’s Home Society Julia Kesler was the keynote speaker Friday at the annual meeting of the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF) at the Parkersburg Country Club. She talked about the need for foster families throughout the state to help at-risk children. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

“We still have a long way to go,” Kesler said.

She talked about a child being brought into the foster care system after their parents were arrested for drug abuse following an automobile accident and taken in by a compassionate family. The mother couldn’t follow the treatment plan and her parental rights were terminated but the father did and was able to recover and eventually got custody back.

“Our foster family was able to develop a relationship with him,” Kesler said. “When he earned visitation our foster family was right there helping him walk along the way.”

The family helped the father get a car seat when he was able to take the child out on unsupervised visits.

“Our foster family became that mentor that family needed to help him regain time with his (child),” Kesler said.

Now that child lives with her father and has that connection and the foster family continues to help him, like many grandparents do. The child stays with them when the father needs some time for himself.

“That is what success should look like,” Kesler said.

On any given day there are over 6,000 children in the foster care system in West Virginia. Many kids, around 3,000, are in a relative’s home. The Children’s Home Society handled the cases for 207 cases statewide. Their Parkersburg office is caring for around 25 children with around 10 in the local emergency shelter they have in Parkersburg.

There are transitional living programs which care for 116 youth, ages 18 to 23 when they age out of foster care with many placed in apartments to make sure they have support as many are in danger of becoming homeless.

Over the last four years the PACF has given over $120,000 in funds to help with programs for the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia.

“Those are monies that go directly into our programming and programs in the community and the region,” Kesler said. “We couldn’t do what we do without you.”

The Parkersburg location for the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia serves Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Jackson, Mason, Pleasants, Ritchie, Tyler, Wirt and Wood counties.

The PACF is part of a group of funders locally who are trying to address the foster care problem and “fill in the gaps,” help them reunite with their families and more, said PACF Executive Director Fred Rader.

The lunch was a chance to thank their donors and honor the work they have been able to do and support charitable causes in the community. Rader commended the non-profit organizations who do the daily work in providing services to people who need them and addressing the needs in the community.

“It wouldn’t mean anything for us to raise the money if there weren’t organizations to address the needs in the community,” Rader said.

The PACF’s mission is to partner with generous people to build permanent philanthropic resources that strengthen the region. People have set up charitable funds the PACF helps administer and distribute to the community.

Through the PACF’s Fall Grants, they funded 62 projects. Other funds were established to support other organizations and projects in the area.

Last year, they gave out over 300 scholarships to area students, Rader said, adding applications are now open for some scholarships. People are having trouble accessing some federal applications. Rader said the deadline is March 1.

People can call the Foundation at 304-428-4438 for more information.

During the last fiscal year from July 2022 to June 2023, the PACF gave out over $4 million in grants and scholarships, Rader said.

Over the past 24 years, Executive Director Emerita Judy Sjostedt Ritchie, had given out close to $50 million in grants and scholarships through the Foundation to the community, Rader said.

“The Foundation has a rich history under her leadership,” Rader said in the Foundation’s annual report. “It is an honor to follow in Judy’s footsteps.

“We will uphold our commitment to the charitable intent of our past and present donors, yet stay ready to work with the next generation of donors to address the future needs of our community.”

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com