(Editorial - Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Remember back in June 2022, when West Virginia lawmakers contracted with McChrystal Group for a thorough assessment of what was then the state Department of Health and Human Resources? The group was supposed to come up with a strategic plan for the agency, and was paid $1.08 million to do so.

But then, the legislature didn’t like what McChrystal presented as a plan of action for DHHR.

“Our recommendation steers towards keeping a single DHHR with a sub-structure, with the goal being — at the lowest cost and quickest efficiency — getting good results for the citizens of West Virginia,” said Christopher Fussell, president of the McChrystal Group, at the time.

Instead, lawmakers split DHHR into three agencies and moved on.

Now, state Senate Bill 727 (which has been laid over by the Senate Judiciary Committee) would have required one of those agencies, the Department of Human Services, to pay an independent third party to do another assessment, “a comprehensive study of the child welfare system in West Virginia.”

That may be due, in part, to the horrific stories that have been told about the problems plaguing the agency, even after the split. In fact, the bill would have required a review of child welfare laws, rules and regulations; the permanent and temporary child placement system, including foster care and the adoption process; potential ways to reduce the removal rate of children from families; ways to increased efficiencies in the way child welfare services are offered; and ways to improve transparency and accountability for the system.

Instead, lawmakers appear to have decided to give Alex Mayer, cabinet secretary for DoHS, a chance to improve the situation.

“I would say that I inherited a system that’s very broken; one that needs a lot of systematic change from how we operate internally to how we execute our business out in the field to how we engage and interact with providers,” Mayer said. “I would say the one thing that has been a blessing in this whole conversation though is that everyone is wanting to come to the table and fix it.”

Fine. Those are nice words. But state Senate Judiciary Chairman Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, made clear the pause on the bill was doing Mayer a favor.

“I want to hear you say that this (bill) is going to be helpful to your effort. If it’s not going to be helpful to your effort, we’ll lay it on the table,” Stuart said. “In a year from now when you come to us, if this system isn’t improving and fixed, the accountability is on your shoulders.”

Good. Paying for study after study isn’t going to help our kids unless SOMEONE is held accountable. (And particularly if we decide we just don’t like what the study concludes and do it our own way, anyway.)

Mayer had better get to work. Forget about what lawmakers expect, West Virginians expect that ALL our kids will get the best support we can give them.