West Virginia Leases Barboursville School for Youth Care
The state will reopen the former school as a residential treatment facility for children in state custody in early 2027.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Children’s Health
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West Virginia has entered a five-year lease with Youth Health Associates to reopen the closed Barboursville School as a residential treatment facility. The 36-bed facility is scheduled to open in early 2027 and will serve juveniles with mental and physical challenges, including those who have committed sexual misconduct.
Why it matters
The initiative aims to bring West Virginia's children in state custody back home rather than sending them out of state, where they were placed because the state lacked facilities and resources to provide needed care. It also adds treatment capacity within the state as its foster care population remains large.
As of July 1, West Virginia had 5,719 children in foster care, the lowest July 1 figure since 2016 and below a typical count of around 6,000 in recent years. The 36-bed facility will be the state's new capacity for youth with severe mental health challenges, though its operating costs were not disclosed.
The players
Youth Health Associates
Youth Health Associates is an organization that operates youth treatment programs and works with 22 states, and it holds the five-year lease for the Barboursville facility.
The details
The state entered a five-year lease agreement with Youth Health Associates, an organization that works with 22 states, for the former Barboursville School in Cabell County. Youth Health Associates has already hired a director for the facility, and recruiting is underway for the expected 50 to 60 jobs.
Timeline
The Barboursville School, which served children for nearly 40 years, closed in 2025.
The state reported its July 1 foster care count of 5,719 children.
The governor expects most of the 36 beds to be filled by March 2027.
The Barboursville facility is scheduled to open in early 2027.
Big Picture
West Virginia has relied on out-of-state placements for children in state custody because it lacked the facilities to treat them at home. Reopening the Barboursville School reverses that pattern by adding in-state residential treatment capacity for youth with severe mental health needs.
Families and residents in West Virginia may see more treatment options for children with severe mental health needs closer to home once the facility opens. The 50 to 60 new jobs will be available as recruitment proceeds ahead of the early 2027 opening.
The takeaway
Bringing children in custody back to in-state care keeps them closer to family and community support. Readers tracking youth services in West Virginia should watch the facility's bed occupancy as it opens in 2027.
What happens next
The Barboursville facility is scheduled to open in early 2027, and the governor expects most of its 36 beds to be filled by March 2027. The initiative is also slated to expand across all 55 counties.
Further reading
For related coverage, explore more Children's Health reporting on how states care for youth in custody.
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