West Virginia’s Department of Human Services has its work cut out for it as it attempts to respond to a federal audit of Child Protective Services, but there seems to be a good plan in place.

Department Secretary Alex Mayer told the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resource Accountability his agency takes seriously the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General report on West Virginia’s compliance with child abuse and neglect requirements.

“These are children’s lives, families’ futures, and the credibility of state government,” Mayer said. “What the audit did do was validate the steps we were already taking, the issues we identified, and the approaches to address what was outlined in the report.”

Mayer said change will focus on foster care and kinship care supports, reshaping the approach to residential care, implementing a new statewide practice model, partnerships with churches and community organizations, prevention and early intervention, technology improvements, strengthening collaboration with the judicial system, and fiscal responsibility and internal controls.

It is an ambitious sweep, but tells Mountain State residents just how far and wide the rot had spread with CPS. It may look daunting, but it is encouraging to see Mayer and his colleagues understand just how much must change. Even more encouraging is that it seems they are determined to change it.

And they must do it with transparency, technology that helps rather than hurts, and an eye toward being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. The first step on this long journey is simply WANTING to take it.

Again, Mayer and Co. appear to have demonstrated that desire; and we look forward to watching their success unfold for the sake of vulnerable West Virginia children and families.