West Virginia’s secretary for human services told lawmakers about continued focus on child welfare needs and staffing to make sure that work receives proper attention.

Alex Mayer also described progress in reducing overdose deaths in West Virginia.

Mayer spoke before the Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability during interim legislative meetings at the state Capitol.

“We’ve been very busy, particularly in the child welfare space,” Mayer , referencing a child welfare listening tour that concluded this summer.

West Virginia’s child welfare dashboard shows more than 6,000 current placements of children by the state.

Mayer said that one area of emphasis is West Virginia foster children who wind up living in hotels. Senator Vince Deeds, R-Greenbrier, asked how man

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