By Michael Phillips | Virginia Bay News
West Virginia lawmakers are weighing a $1.4 million budget request from the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals to sustain—and modestly expand—the state’s Family Treatment Court program in Fiscal Year 2027. The price tag is small by state-budget standards, but the decision carries outsize consequences for child welfare, public safety, and the long-term costs of addiction.
At its core, the request poses a conservative governance question: should the state invest in a program that reduces foster care stays, lowers repeat court involvement, and keeps families intact—or allow a proven initiative to wither as temporary grants expire?
What the Program Does—and Why It Exists
Family Treatment Courts are specialized, problem-solving courts aimed at parents with substance-use disorders whose children have been removed in abuse or neglect cases. Instead of a purely punitive approach, these courts combine treatment, accountability, frequent judicial oversight, and strict timelines to stabilize parents and reunify families safely—often faster than national averages.
The program began as a four-county pilot in 2019, was made permanent by the Legislature in 2021, and now operates in 13–14 courts serving 19 counties. It has relied heavily on federal grants and opioid settlement dollars—funding streams that were never meant to be permanent.
That reliance is now the problem.
Why the Money Is Needed Now
A major federal grant is expiring. A one-time $1.16 million bridge grant will keep the lights on only through mid-2026. Without new state funding by June 30, 2026, courts warn of service interruptions—or worse, shutdowns.
Stephanie Bond, director of probation services for the Supreme Court, put it bluntly when presenting to lawmakers in mid-January:
“We’ve been operating since 2019 and we’ve been fortunate to have grant funding since that time. Now we are requesting state funding in order to continue and to expand.”
Bond also noted the alignment with the state’s stated priority on child abuse and neglect: “These programs do way too much good… After seeing these graduates, how could you not believe in it?”
Results That Conservatives Typically Support
Family Treatment Courts check several boxes often cited by fiscal and family-values conservatives:
- Lower foster care costs, saving the state millions over time
- Faster reunifications, reducing trauma for children
- Accountability-first treatment, not open-ended social services
- Reduced overdose risk among participating parents
- Healthier births for expectant mothers in the program
Participants have offered compelling testimony. One graduate, Makayla Evans, told lawmakers:
“100% if it wasn’t for family treatment, I wouldn’t be alive… My daughter wouldn’t have a mom.”
These outcomes matter in any state—but especially in West Virginia, which has borne the brunt of the opioid epidemic.
Context: A State Still Living With the Opioid Fallout
For more than a decade, West Virginia has ranked at or near the top nationally for opioid overdose deaths. The crisis unfolded in waves—from overprescribed painkillers in the early 2000s, to heroin, to fentanyl and today’s polysubstance use.
Between 2007 and 2012, more than 780 million hydrocodone and oxycodone pills were shipped into the state—among the highest per-capita totals in the country. By the mid-2010s, overdose death rates were more than 250% above the national average, devastating rural communities from Cabell County to the Ohio River Valley.
Settlement funds from pharmaceutical companies are now flowing in, but much of that money has gone to jails and enforcement, not treatment—reigniting debate over whether the state is investing in solutions that reduce dependency versus managing its consequences.
Family Treatment Courts sit squarely in the “reduce dependency” category.
A Conservative Case for Yes
From a center-right perspective, the $1.4 million request is not an expansion of bureaucracy—it’s an attempt to stabilize a court-supervised, results-driven program that already exists and has demonstrated returns.
The alternative is familiar: higher foster care costs, longer court dockets, repeat removals, and children growing up without parents who might have recovered with structured help.
Lawmakers have declined similar requests in past budget cycles, forcing courts to patch together short-term grants. That approach may save money on paper, but it raises long-term costs—financial and human.
As West Virginia continues to confront the legacy of the opioid crisis, the question isn’t whether Family Treatment Courts work. The data and testimony suggest they do. The real question is whether the state will treat them as a permanent solution—or another temporary experiment left to expire.
Support Independent Journalism
Virginia Bay News is part of the Bay News Media Network — a growing group of independent, reader-supported newsrooms covering government accountability, courts, public safety, and institutional failures across the country.
Support independent journalism that isn’t funded by political parties, corporations, or government agencies
Submit tips or documents securely — if you see something wrong, we want to know
Independent reporting only works when readers stay engaged. Your attention, tips, and support help keep these stories alive.
Virginia Bay News 
Leave a comment