Home Finding
Permanent, Nurturing Homes for Children
Building Safe, Stable Homes for Children in Need
The Home Finding Program at Star of Hope is a West Virginia DHHR grant-funded program focused on promoting safety, permanency, and well-being for children who need out-of-home, family-based care.
The goal of Home Finding is to increase the number of safe, stable, and permanent homes available for children by supporting foster care, adoption, kinship, and relative placements through timely and thorough home assessments.
Overview of Services
Who the Program Serves
The Home Finding Program supports:
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Relative and kinship placement safety screens
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Foster families seeking to become specialized caregivers
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Families pursuing therapeutic levels of care
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Court-ordered home studies for foster care, adoption, guardianship, and ICPC placements
Each request is handled with care, urgency, and a focus on child safety.
Program Details
What We Do
Home Finding staff complete:
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Initial and re-evaluation home studies
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Safety screens for relative and kinship placements
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Assessments for adoptive and foster homes
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Legal guardianship and ICPC home studies
These services are ongoing and play a critical role in moving children into appropriate family-based settings.
Our Team & Coverage
The Star of Hope Home Finding Program includes:
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1 full-time Supervisor
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5 full-time Home Finders
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6 full-time Case Aides
Team members are based in 10 DHHR county offices across four West Virginia DHHR regions, allowing services to be delivered efficiently and close to the communities served.
Team Roles
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Home Finders conduct home studies and re-evaluations
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Case Aides manage inquiries, prepare packets, assist with home visits, fingerprinting, PRIDE training orientations, data entry in FACTS (Family and Children Tracking System), mailings, and filing
Adapting to System Changes
In recent years, the Home Finding Program has adapted to significant policy changes impacting relative and kinship placements. These placements now require immediate, emergency safety screenings—often within five days—including multiple home visits and background clearances.
Additionally, the State of West Virginia has transitioned many foster care responsibilities to private agencies through Mission West Virginia, while DHHR has placed increased focus on relative and kinship placements. Star of Hope Home Finding team has worked diligently to adjust, train, and continue delivering high-quality services during this transition.