Governor Patrick Morrisey and the West Virginia Department of Human Services announced Thursday that a former psychiatric treatment center in Barboursville will reopen under a five‑year lease with Utah‑based Youth Health Associates. The move is intended to keep nearly 400 children currently placed out of state within West Virginia’s foster care system.
The reopened facility will accommodate up to 36 youths and is projected to create as many as 60 jobs. Officials said the center is slated to open early next year, with each bed expected to be filled by the end of March.
“We are going to reduce the children that have to go into congregate care and out‑of‑state congregate care by building out a robust system that meets the needs of our children and families in West Virginia,” said West Virginia Department of Human Services Secretary Carl Ayers. Morrisey added that the project is part of his “bring them home” initiative, which he described as “critical” for returning children to their families.
Mace Warren, senior director of clinical services for Youth Health Associates, emphasized the benefit of proximity: “When kids are closer to home and they have more opportunities to reintegrate to their families, they just do way better than being halfway across the country in a program.” The facility will focus on children with mental and physical challenges, as well as juveniles who have committed sexual misconduct.
Not everyone in the community supports the plan. Retired West Virginia Division of Corrections case manager Sandra Chapman, speaking from Barboursville Park, called the site “not a safe place” for children, seniors and other residents. She warned that the center will house teenage sex offenders and urged the governor to consider the safety of local families and seniors who frequent the park.
In response, Morrisey reiterated that the Barboursville location is a “big first step” toward eliminating the need to send foster children out of state. He said the model will be replicated across the state, eventually allowing West Virginia to keep all foster youth within its borders.
What’s next: The facility is expected to open early in 2025, with staffing and operational plans finalized in the coming months. State officials will monitor placement progress, aiming for full occupancy by the end of March, and will assess the impact on out‑of‑state foster placements as the project moves forward.
Sources: wchstv.com, wchstv.com
