"Too many children in our country do not succeed because crises leave them without a family to whom they can turn for the kind of support that most children take for granted."
(Annie E. Casey Foundation)
Adoptions are as old as civilization itself with one of the oldest recorded adoptions being that of baby Moses. Adoption is a good choice for teens and women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. We are dedicated in our belief that all children deserve a permanent and secure family. We provide support, counseling and other services to all members of the adoption triad.
The triad members consist of the birth parents, the child and the adoptive parents. Our Adoption program assists in finding homes for children so they can experience healthy development in a permanent secure family. We have experienced staff that is sensitive to the needs of those involved in the Adoption process. It is our belief that a strong foundation is built upon professionalism, individual and personal attention and sensitivity to each individual's needs.
Whether you are considering an adoption plan for your child or you are seeking to be adoptive parents we are here to help you make an informed decision.
To learn more about adoption, we invite you to review the information provided within this web site and contact one of our Adoption Social Workers at 304-345-3894. Our goal is to provide information to all individuals interested in adoption.
Fostering is an important long-standing component of the child welfare system in the United States
In West Virginia, we have approximately 3,000 children in out-of-home care every day. Many of these children live in family foster care homes. Foster care is a planned, goal-directed service for children who cannot live with their birth families for some period of time. Foster care is designed primarily as a temporary service that responds to crises in the lives of children and families. Some children, however, remain in foster care for extended periods of time.
Over the last few years, we have realized a drastic reduction in the number of available foster parents. A big part of this shift is due to foster parents adopting their foster children. We think this is a great outcome, however this trend reduces the number of available foster homes while the number of children coming into care stays the same.
Make a difference to a child
Becoming a foster parent says a lot about who you are and the values you hold.
It says, “I care about the future, and I’m doing my part to help secure a young person’s future.” Being a foster parent is often one of the most fulfilling things you can do. People talk about giving back to the community or to a worthy cause - this is the time. Think of fostering as giving to the future, a child’s future.
Our Foster Parents Provide
Foster children with basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing in a safe environment. Foster parents also provide love, guidance, emotional support and discipline. Foster parents will enroll the child in school and provide opportunities for recreational activities.
Foster parents encourage and support the religious beliefs, heritage, and language of the child and his or her family.
Foster parents respect the foster child and their family.
To Be Foster Parents You Will:
Be at least 21 years old and have a steady source of income.
Be in good physical and emotional health.
Meet State licensing requirements for housing, safety and space.
Have a high school diploma or GED.
Steps to Become A Foster Parent
Call one of the Society’s offices listed at the bottom of this page.
You will complete an application form.
A background check will be conducted.
The homefinder will conduct a home assessment to determine if the home meets safety, space and health standards.
You will receive extensive training from the Society.
A home study will be completed.
After You Are Approved
The Society’s foster care social worker will contact you with a potential placement when a child becomes available.
The Society’s foster care social worker will provide you with as much information as available regarding the child.
You will be able to meet your potential foster child prior to placement.
You will have the opportunity to ask the Society’s foster care social worker questions.
To Make A Difference
Please call us at one of our Foster Care locations listed below to be involved or to receive more information on how to become a foster parent:
Region I Morgantown E-mail : Kurt Schmidt , Director 304-284-0992
Region I Parkersburg E-mail: Carna Metheney-White, Director 304-485-0650
Region II Charleston E-mail: Scott Foley, Supervisor 304-345-3894
WE CAN is a community-based program that works to help vulnerable children and their families. Volunteer mentors assist professionally trained staff in providing needed services to children and families.
Intervention programs such as WE CAN help promote positive outcomes while focusing on the strengths and interest of the child.
The Impact OF Mentoring
Children who have an adult mentor are:
46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
27% less likely to start drinking
52% less likely to skip school
Be at least 18 years old
Have a valid driver’s license and auto insurance
Submit an application
Provide 3 references
Complete WV State police and CPS background checks
Attend training sessions
Agree to spend 2-6 hours weekly for a 6 month period
Join us by calling today. You Can Make A Difference:
Contributions. Contributions of any amount are appreciated and all gifts are tax deductible. You can be assured 100% of your gift will go to programs and services. Donor wishes are always honored. You may designate a specific program or site to receive your gift.
Memorial/Honor Gifts. A contribution given "in memory of" or "in honor of" a friend or relative can be a very gratifying tribute while providing assistance to children in crisis. Memorial gifts are acknowledged immediately to the family of the deceased per your instructions, giving the name of the donor only. Honor gifts are acknowledged to the person you designate, giving the name of the donor only.
Capital Campaigns. Currently the Society is conducting special fundraising campaigns for the development of emergency shelter facilities for children and youth in need of out-of-home care in Cabell/Wayne and Wood County areas. The Huntington Children's Shelter and the Arthur N. Gustke Shelter in Parkersburg will welcome your gift and your interest. Your gift to either of these campaigns will help ensure shelter care is available in these locations for more than 200 children annually.
On June 1, 2008, the Society kicks off the "50 for 50" campaign to support the purchase of office space for the Children and Family Services programs in the Greenbrier Valley. Click here to learn more about this campaign and how you can become a part of helping children and families in need. When you're ready to make your pledge, click here for the official "50 for 50" campaign pledge form.
Donate Online
Gifts to the Society may be made via credit card on-line through Network for Good. This site accepts Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover and will forward your gift to the Society.
Go directly to the CHS page at
Donate By Phone
Call Children's Home Society at 1-304-346-0795 and ask for Director, Development & Philanthropy.
Please make checks payable to Children's Home Society of West Virginia and mail to:
Attention Director, Development & Philanthropy
PO Box 2942
Charleston,WV 25330
MissionFish helps you support your favorite causes (Children's Home Society of West Virginia) through trading on eBay! Since 2000, MissionFish and eBay have been helping nonprofits raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, using a unique online auction process that turns in-kind donations into cash. MissionFish is a nonprofit service of the Points of Light Foundation.
You as a donor can auction that old rocking chair in the garage and give all or part of your proceeds to the Society. In fact, you can sell almost anything online and have the proceeds go to help the Society. Simply click on the link below to go to the Society's page on MissionFish! Don't throw it away! Click the logo below to Auction it online!
Neighborhood Investment Program
The Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP) is a program overseen by the West Virginia Development Office. Each year approved non-profit organizations are allotted state tax credits that can be given to donors who contribute $500 or more for a specific cause. Our projects include; improvements to our 10 emergency child shelter facilities, expansion of our adoption and foster care programs statewide, increasing our early intervention services and programs and to expand our WE CAN mentoring program statewide.
Saving money is easy: when a business or individual contributes $500 or more to the Children's Home Society of West Virginia for the purpose of funding our current projects they become eligible to receive up to 50% of the amount contributed in the form of state tax credits. These credits are in addition to any federal tax deductions.
For example, a $10,000 contribution to the Society would result in $5,000 in State tax savings and a possible Federal tax savings of roughly $2,800 and the cost to you could be as little as $2200.
The NIP program is simple. Send us a contribution of at least $500 and we will send you a tax credit voucher for 50% of your contribution. Attach the voucher to the appropriate tax form and deduct the credit from the amount of taxes owed.
The NIP program provides the donor an excellent way to stretch the value of their charitable contributions while helping to care for children and families all across the state.
Please consider a donation of $500 or more today and see how beneficial the NIP program is while helping to make a difference in the lives of children.
Please contact Mary White at 304-345-3894 or your accountant for more information or simply send a contribution to the Society at PO Box 2942, Charleston, WV 25330 and mark your check or the envelope as a "NIP Contribution."
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
A first grader in Morgantown's Foster to Adopt Program recently won a young writer's contest with his submission about his mom. We think you'll be as impressed as the contest judges.
Par Mar Store 46 employees in Dailey, WV were presented with a certificate of appreciation for selling Mother’s Day flowers to benefit Children’s Home Society! Pictured are employees of this store who helped to sell approximately 1000 flowers, selling the most in the Elkins, WV area. Children’s Home Society staff presented this certificate of appreciation to these employees. Many thanks to all of the participating OM&GA stores for making this campaign so very successful for our WV children and youth! Certificates of appreciation were also delivered to PAR MAR stores in the Elkins area, as well as the Elkins area Go-Marts, Canaan Valley BFS, PAR MAR store in Franklin, WV!
2013 Quilt Donation to Children’s Home Society
The Community Quilts of Hampshire County has donated a very beautiful quilt for Children’s Home Society! This quilt was the product of a year of work and fun! It started out as a kit for one of our members to refresh her skills and turned into a year’s labor of love. The center blocks are pieced and hand appliquéd. The borders and quilting are machine done. The appliqué took over a year to complete because of the templating, cutting, attaching and finally blanket stitching by hand-an eight hour job! Children’s Home Society plans to raffle off the quilt and use the money to purchase new furniture for our emergency child shelter in Romney, WV. Children’s Home Society was presented the quilt on May 1, 2013 at the Romney Child Shelter. Many thanks to all of the volunteers who worked so hard on this quilt!
The Bronze Look has commissioned glass blower artist, Ron Hinkle, to produce a limited edition of 55 sets of 4 Seasons Child Vases. This set of 4 colorful seasonal child vases can be purchases from ebay, the Bronze Look on-line store, the Bronze Look shops in Princeton and Bluefield, and at the Princeton CHS office. 100% or $99.00 of the cost of the Ron Hinkle 4 seasons vase sets will all go to CHS when purchased directly from the Princeton CHS office. They make beautiful and special Christmas gifts – and all proceeds will benefit Children’s Home Society.
Cribs For Kids
Help provide a safe crib for a needy child today! The “Cribs for Kids” program began in 1998 as an initiative of the SIDS of Pennsylvania Organization. Because of several infant SIDS deaths, this program was started to educate and provide safe sleeping environments for families who could not otherwise afford them. This campaign was the first of this kind in the country and is now in 166 locations in 37 states.
A Walk-A-Thon was held in Lewisburg on October 30th to kick off this project locally. $70 will purchase a Graco Pack’n Play crib, which is bought at cost and arrives with free shipping in our service area. These cribs will be given to needy families who otherwise would not be able to provide a safe sleeping environment for their baby. Families will also receive educational materials and training by a licensed social worker to ensure they can assemble the crib correctly, as well as educational information about SIDS and Safe Sleep techniques.
Children’s Home Society is participating in the “Cribs for Kids” project in Region I and Region IV (Greenbrier, Summers and Monroe counties) collaboratively along with CASE/WV. Checks may be made directly to CASE/WV and mailed to: Janet Richmond, CHS, 9579 Seneca Trail South, Fairlea WV 24901. You may also call Janet at 304-647-3430 or email at JRichmond@childhswv.org to make a donation. All donations are tax-deductible.
First Book
For the past ten years, the Mercer County WE CAN Program has been a grant recipient of First Book. Thousands of books have been distributed to children in WE CAN through generous grants from our local advisory board.
This year, First Book has extended its reach, and more CHS programs are First Book recipients. These include:
Parkersburg – coordinated a new, local advisory board and received $7,000 from the Department of Education in seed money;
Northfork – received a grant of $2,000 to purchase approximately 1,000 new books for children in emergency shelter care and children at the community center;
Princeton – received a grant of $1,680 to purchase approximately 840 new books for children in the WE CAN child-mentoring program; and
Morgantown – received a grant in the amount of $320 to purchase approximately 160 new books for children in the tutoring/mentoring program.
For more information about First Book, please visit:
For the past ten years, the Mercer County WE CAN Program has been a grant recipient of First Book. Thousands of books have been distributed to children in WE CAN through generous grants from our local advisory board. 
A Walk For Children Slide Show
