(Editorial - Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

There are nearly 6,000 children in foster care in West Virginia. Approximately one-third of them are between the ages of 13 and 17. These children are among our most vulnerable populations, and face challenges most of the rest of us are simply incapable of understanding.

But they do have support. Initiatives from Fairmont State University, for example, offer opportunities for Mountain State students who have experienced foster care to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree simultaneously, through Middle College. The RISE (Resilience, Independence, Support, Empowerment) program creates a network of foster care or kinship care alumni, advocates and allies, according to the university.

Through such programs, young people have had the opportunity to speak this year with justices of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, and with lawmakers about their experiences with the child welfare system here.

There are means of support, education and empowerment for these children, but it is never enough.

“When a child enters foster care, everything changes in an instant, from their home and belongings to the people around them. It can be scary and lonely. In the days that follow, a single teddy bear can represent so much: comfort, safety, something of their very own, and a reminder that they are loved,” said Shanna Gray, state director of WV CASA, of the RISE Small Bears, Big Impact: A Community Bear Hugs for Kids in Care teddy bear-collection effort.

Leading in to National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and National Foster Care Month in May, Fairmont State is continuing its on-campus efforts. It will celebrate its first class of Middle College and RISE high school graduates May 22.

But, again, important as these efforts are, they are not enough and they must not stand alone. Across West Virginia it is important for communities to find similar ways to support children who find themselves in state custody or foster care. Think about how you or your organization can get involved, too.