West Virginia
WV child care providers face uncertain future as temporary funds are used on a long-term problem • West Virginia Watch
Child care assistance for thousands of West Virginia kids still is in limbo as the Department of Human Services needs anywhere from $23-30 million dollars for a funding shortfall. Lawmakers are unlikely to step in and give the department funds, saying the embattled agency already has the money to cover it.
DoHS has been using federal emergency funds to subsidize child care centers to avoid a Sept. 1 funding cliff, which could have removed 2,000 kids from the program by next month. Gov. Jim Justice said on Thursday that the money could sustain the program through the end of the year.
“We’ve found enough federal funds to cover the cost of our centers with entirety ‘til the end of the year,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure that we improve child care, because that’s what drives young people to this great state and we’ve got to have workers.”
But how DoHS will pay for it beyond that — as well as the state’s plan for sufficient, long-term child care funding — remains a question that DoHS hasn’t yet clarified for lawmakers, child care providers, families or this news outlet.
“We are just business owners fighting to get funding for families right now,” said Jennifer Trippett, owner of Cubby’s Child Care Center in Bridgeport. “It is impossible to run a business that you don’t know what your funding stream is going to be in six months.”
The center serves 450 families; around 50% of those children use the state’s child care assistance program, which pays the center per child.
“We’re told there is funding, but there’s no one who can say where it will come from,” she said.
The federal government recently mandated without funding that states subsidize child care centers based on the total enrollment rather than attendance. About 15,000 West Virginia families used the child care assistance program in 2023.
DoHS has been using money from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to cover the costs of child care subsidies.
“The plan is to use TANF dollars as long as they can,” said Del. Amy Summers, R-Taylor.
“My goal is that families feel less nervous,” she continued. “What I wish is that we had a clear answer. I worry about these families and children and their planning. I’d like to have accurate information.”
TANF dollars aren’t permanent, and DoHS leaders said they’ll give families and providers a 60-day notice when the funding changes.
DoHS did not respond to multiple interview requests or questions about child care from West Virginia Watch. A spokesperson for Justice didn’t respond to this story.
House Minority Leader Sean Horbuckle, D-Cabell, said his caucus had tried with little success to get information from DoHS about the funding issue.
The lack of communication for child providers and families was “disrespectful to the citizens of West Virginia on such an important matter,” he said.
DoHS says it’s the legislature’s problem to fix, lawmakers disagree
DoHS Secretary Cynthia Persily told WV News on Aug. 16 that she needed the Legislature to allocate additional funds for the shortfall and that she couldn’t dip into a recently-created $180 million reserve fund.
Lawmakers, concerned with DoHS spending transparency, required in the bill that DoHS report to them any spending out of the reserve. It doesn’t prohibit the department from using the money for the child care assistance program.
“[Speaker Roger Hanshaw] is confident the Department of Human Services has enough funds for child care assistance to continue … and the speaker also is confident the department’s reserve fund for making up any funding shortfall in the short term is available to the secretary relatively unencumbered for that purpose,” House of Delegates Communications Director Ann Ali said.
Hornbuckle said that he didn’t want to focus on “who was right or wrong.”
“It’s not time to hide or tell fables or bend the truth. Let’s figure out why we haven’t moved on this and let’s get it moved on,” he said. “Besides the parents and kids, it hurts the economy. It’s a tough thing.”
He also noted that House Democrats, under the leadership of Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, prioritized child care legislation during the session.
With more than 20,000 child care spots needed in the state, Republican leaders had also said it was a priority as they looked to improve the state’s chronically-low rate of workforce participation.
But a bundle of bi-partisan bills focused on increasing child care access never went up for a vote in the full House or Senate. Then during the May special session, lawmakers voted down a bipartisan amendment that would have required DoHS to spend some of the $180 million reserve on child care and avoid the current funding shortfall.
The funding cliff won’t likely be addressed in an August special session should Justice decide to call one. He has been pushing a Child and Dependent Care tax credit that would allow 16,300 eligible families to claim up to 50% of the allowable federal tax credit.
“I think what I’m gathering is that the governor hasn’t given that to us to fund. He had opportunities during the session and [May] special session,” Summers said. “He wants his tax credit.”
More issues plaguing child care providers
Lawmakers will be at the State Capitol on Sunday for the start of August interim meetings. Trippett and other child care providers will hold a rally at 2:30 p.m to ask lawmakers to solve the funding issue.
While the state’s enrollment subsidy model will help stabilize child care center’s income, Trippett stressed that DoHS must increase the amount it pays in subsidies for children.
The state lost 750 child care spots this year because the subsidy amount failed to keep up with rising operational costs.
“I lose a ton of money on every child who has assistance,” she said. “Since 2019, any child care center that is hiring someone with or without a degree who has training … instead of paying $9-10 an hour, we now have to pay $17 an hour because that’s what fast food is paying. And the cost of food has tripled.”
West Virginia
Charleston commemorates Juneteenth with downtown parade and celebration – WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va – Charleston is celebrating Juneteenth with its annual parade, followed by a celebration in Slack Plaza featuring live entertainment, food, educational exhibits, and more.
The parade stepped off from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center at 11:30 on Friday with a long line of organizations participating and several community members recognized as “Mr. and Miss Juneteenth.” Smiles dotted the procession as organizers watched a community come together.
“It’s just a wonderful thing when we can bring the community together to celebrate freedom, and here in West Virginia, we’ve had some challenges because they’ve said that Juneteenth is not a state holiday, but our people are still celebrating,” parade chairperson Karen Williams said.
The parade marked the start of an entire day recognizing the history of Juneteenth, the emancipation of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people when the Union Army arrived at Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. With the last stronghold of slavery in the Confederate States eradicated that day, June 19 came to be celebrated as a second independence day, and President Joe Biden established it as a national holiday in 2021.
In West Virginia, former Gov. Jim Justice was the first to declare a state holiday and did so in each of his last four years in office. Gov. Patrick Morrisey recognized Juneteenth with a proclamation on Friday but has not declared a state holiday in 2025 or 2026.
“Representation really matters, so seeing Black queens and Black kings roaming the streets of Charleston is a beautiful thing, and it’s a needed thing. I think there’s a lot more people that aren’t going to celebrate Juneteenth than people that are, so I think it’s really important that we continue to celebrate this holiday and show why it’s important,” Miss Juneteenth Adult Keyarna Frederick said.
Different groups from around the Kanawha Valley came out to participate from businesses and youth organizations to political committees and arts collectives. Williams believes that shows that Juneteenth is a day for the entire community to celebrate.
“Appalachian people have always grown up and lived together, and what we want—we want people to continue that. We want people to continue to be together. We’re not saying this is a Black event or a white event. We welcome all people to come and participate,” she said.
The parade route echoed her sentiment as nearly everyone who joined the parade shared handshakes, high-fives, and hugs. That spirit of togetherness spoke to the day’s honorees as well.
“It’s definitely something that we should all be celebrating. It’s for all of us, not just for a certain color or a certain kind. It’s for all of us, so I believe everyone should be celebrating this day,” Mr. Juneteenth Adult Edward Frederick said.
“This is my first time in the parade. It’s so beautiful. It’s so amazing to see different organizations a part of the parade, seeing how much muscle has went into even doing something like this, so I think it’s a beautiful thing for Charleston,” Keyarna Frederick added.
From the parade to the activities in Slack Plaza, the day’s organizers sought to create an environment to celebrate Juneteenth with a spirit of unity. Williams hopes that anyone that joined or watched felt that along the way.
“I want them to see that we are Almost Heaven, West Virginia; that we are celebrating freedom; and that we are a community that embraces one another,” she said.
BOONE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – We have a traffic alert for drivers in the Danville area of Boone County.
Starting on Friday, they should expect delays as crew perform work on the Jill Micah Hess Bridge along U.S. 119.
According to the West Virginia Department of Transportation, northbound traffic will be shifted from the slow lane to the fast lane.
This will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and drivers are asked to expect delays.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
West Virginia
Community Catalyst Grant applications are open through West Virginia First Foundation through June 30 – WV MetroNews
The West Virginia First Foundation, which was established to use drug lawsuit settlement money to try to alleviate problems related to addiction, reported having access to $378.5 million in financial resources and noted that more than $34 million in grants have been awarded since the organization’s start.
The West Virginia First Foundation met for a few minutes Thursday at Ascend West Virginia in Charleston. The meeting was also available for view through streaming.
Executive Director Jonathan Board highlighted the launch of the Community Catalyst Grant application and a statewide needs assessment intended to identify service gaps.
Designed as a three-year, outcomes-driven investment, the program will support projects focused on public safety response, day report centers and generational prevention efforts. The program opened for applications on June 1 and remains open through June 30.
“We’re very encouraged by the interest and engagement so far,” Board said.
The board also approved a $4 million funding request for the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. The project is focused on expanding access to innovative addiction treatment and recovery support tools while building the technology and infrastructure needed to support implementation across West Virginia.
Additional details about the project and funding agreement are to be released in the coming weeks following the completion of final documentation. West Virginia First Foundation and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute plan to issue a joint announcement once the agreement process is complete.
“They’ve gone through a very rigorous process for the correct funding,” Board said. “Their team has presented an opportunity to fund a project that will build technology, training and support systems of care needed to expand access to an innovative addiction treatment approach throughout the state of West Virginia, and really beyond.”
The West Virginia First Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 2023 to manage and distribute 72.5% of the state’s opioid settlement funds, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. The organization is aimed at combatting the addiction crisis through grants and regional projects.
The next regular meeting of the Foundation’s Board of Directors is scheduled for Sept. 17 although it’s subject to change.
-
Technology4 minutes agoNothing cancels this year’s CMF phone due to RAM prices
-
World11 minutes agoTwo-train crash leaves at least 1 dead, 89 injured as emergency crews rush to chaotic scene
-
Politics14 minutes agoDouble endorsement drama: Trump backs second candidate in red state’s GOP gubernatorial runoff
-
Health19 minutes agoMeasles-infected traveler may have exposed passengers at LAX and nearby hotel, health officials warn
-
Sports26 minutes agoWorld Cup Red Cards: 2026 Has More Red Cards Than Each Of Last 2 World Cups
-
Technology29 minutes agoChina’s brain chip breakthrough raises big questions
-
Business34 minutes agoRanch lovers can soon travel with a TSA-friendly kit of the popular American dressing
-
Entertainment41 minutes agoAt the Fonda, Jane Remover’s violent yearning heralds a new kind of stardom
