West Virginia Expands 'Christ-Centered' CarePortal Contract for Child Welfare

The state's Department of Human Services is expanding its partnership with a platform that connects churches to families in need.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 12:52am

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a stylized church building icon repeated in a tight grid pattern, representing the expansion of a faith-based child welfare program in West Virginia.The expansion of a 'Christ-centered' child welfare platform in West Virginia sparks debate over the role of faith-based organizations in social services.Grafton Today

The West Virginia Department of Human Services is extending its contract with CarePortal, a 'Christ-centered' platform that connects churches to families in need. CarePortal provides CPS and child welfare professionals access to its network to request assistance from participating churches. The latest county to implement the system is Taylor County, where a 10-year-old girl died of neglect and malnourishment last year.

Why it matters

The expansion of CarePortal raises questions about the role of religion in state-funded child welfare services, as the platform is explicitly 'Christ-centered' and excludes non-Christian institutions. It also highlights ongoing debates in West Virginia around foster care reform, with some lawmakers pushing for more privatization of CPS services.

The details

CarePortal is a state government contract that allows CPS and child welfare professionals to request assistance from participating churches for families in need. The platform boasts that it's 'done for child welfare what ride-sharing did for transportation.' However, the director of a partner organization, Chestnut Mountain Village, stated that CarePortal is 'really only geared towards Christian churches.' The launch event for the latest county implementation took place in Grafton, where a 10-year-old girl died of neglect last year.

  • CarePortal's contract with the West Virginia Department of Human Services was recently extended.
  • The latest county to implement the CarePortal system is Taylor County.

The players

CarePortal

A 'Christ-centered' platform that connects churches to families in need, with a state government contract to provide CPS and child welfare professionals access to its network.

West Virginia Department of Human Services

The state agency that is extending its partnership with CarePortal to provide child welfare services.

Greg Clutter

Director of Chestnut Mountain Village, which partnered with the Department of Human Services for the CarePortal launch event.

Del. Adam Burkhammer

A West Virginia lawmaker whose statewide prevention plan, HB 4393, was vetoed by the governor, along with several other bills relating to foster care.

State Senator Jay Taylor

A West Virginia lawmaker who supported the privatization of CPS services during the legislative session.

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What they’re saying

“CarePortal itself is a Christ-centered organization. So it's really only geared towards Christian churches.”

— Greg Clutter, Director of Chestnut Mountain Village

“We wanted it to be unique to every county, unique to each situation, let them meet the needs of their community. So the legislation was purposefully broad, to allow the department to meet that local need.”

— Del. Adam Burkhammer, West Virginia Lawmaker

“Will there be failures here? Obviously. And will there be failures with government? Yes, because we've obviously seen it. You know, privatization doesn't need to be the scary thing. Government doesn't need to do everything. So that's one of the things we can really look at is seeing what we can get government out of.”

— State Senator Jay Taylor, West Virginia Lawmaker

What’s next

The West Virginia Department of Human Services will continue to monitor the implementation of the CarePortal program in Taylor County and potentially expand it to additional counties in the state.

The takeaway

The expansion of the 'Christ-centered' CarePortal platform in West Virginia's child welfare system raises concerns about the separation of church and state, as well as the ongoing debate around the privatization of CPS services and the role of religion in addressing economic and social challenges facing families.