‘All In Foster Care Summit’ held in Fairmont

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — In an effort to increase faith-based support for children and families in West Virginia involved in foster care, Chestnut Mountain Village held its third “All In Foster Care Summit” in Fairmont on Friday.

Chestnut Mountain Village is the statewide ministry of Chestnut Mountain Ranch in Morgantown and provides churches across the state with guidance and resources to support foster, adoptive and vulnerable children and families.

Friday’s event invited members of the West Virginia faith community to consider the place of the church in helping these kinds of children and families. Chestnut Mountain Village Director Gregory Clutter said that the state can do a lot of things well, but that the church is better suited to emotionally and spiritually supporting families.

“What we found is that when the church rallies around foster families, they stay engaged,” Clutter said.

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study found “consistently high rates of foster parent turnover,” and that at least one in five foster homes exit the system each year.

To learn more about Chestnut Mountain Village, click here.

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