By Michael Phillips | Father & Co.
In West Virginia, a quiet but consequential decision is unfolding—one that goes to the heart of what family court is supposed to do.
The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is asking lawmakers for $1.4 million in state funding to keep the Family Treatment Court program alive beyond June 2026. The amount is modest. The stakes—for parents and children—are anything but.
This isn’t about ideology. It’s about whether courts exist to separate families or to help repair them when repair is possible.
What Family Treatment Courts Actually Do
Family Treatment Courts were created for parents struggling with substance use disorders whose children have been removed in abuse or neglect cases. Instead of defaulting to permanent separation, these courts impose structured accountability paired with treatment and oversight:
- Mandatory screenings and detox support
- Regular court check-ins with the same judge
- Strict timelines and compliance requirements
- Coordinated support services focused on reunification
The model recognizes a hard truth many parents already know: addiction destroys families—but so does a system that gives up on parents too early.
West Virginia launched the program as a four-county pilot in 2019. Lawmakers made it permanent in 2021. Today, it operates in 13–14 courts across 19 counties, quietly helping families stabilize and reunite.
A Funding Cliff That Puts Families at Risk
Until now, the program has survived on temporary federal grants and opioid settlement funds. One major grant is expiring. A short-term bridge grant keeps the program running only until mid-2026.
Without new state funding, courts warn of service disruptions—or closures.
Stephanie Bond, director of probation services for the Supreme Court, summed it up plainly:
“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.”
This isn’t a request to create something new. It’s a plea to keep something that works from disappearing.
Parents, Not Case Numbers
Family Treatment Courts succeed because they see parents as people, not permanent risks.
One participant, Makayla Evans, told lawmakers:
“100% if it wasn’t for family treatment, I wouldn’t be alive… My daughter wouldn’t have a mom.”
That testimony isn’t an outlier. Courts report:
- Faster reunifications
- Reduced time in foster care
- Lower repeat removals
- Healthier pregnancies and births
- Millions saved in foster care and court costs
For children, that often means fewer placements, less trauma, and a real chance to grow up with their parent—safely.
Why This Matters So Much in West Virginia
West Virginia has lived through the worst of the opioid crisis. For years, it ranked at or near the top nationally for overdose deaths. Entire communities were hollowed out. Families shattered.
Much of that damage came from forces parents didn’t create—overprescription, economic collapse, and a flood of fentanyl that rewrote the rules overnight.
Family Treatment Courts don’t excuse harm. They interrupt cycles—of addiction, removal, and generational trauma—when intervention can still work.
For fathers in particular, these courts can be the difference between a temporary crisis and permanent erasure from a child’s life.
A Question Every Family Court System Must Answer
Family court often claims it acts “in the best interests of the child.” But too often, that phrase becomes a justification for giving up on parents rather than supporting recovery.
West Virginia’s Family Treatment Courts offer a different answer:
- Accountability without abandonment
- Protection without permanent separation
- Safety and second chances
The $1.4 million request before lawmakers isn’t just a budget line. It’s a statement about what kind of justice system the state wants—one that manages family breakdown, or one that works to prevent it.
For parents fighting to get well, and children waiting for stability, the difference is everything.
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