In an economy such as this, where we are constantly inundated with taxes, and working-class people are rubbing pennies together to make dollars, I am appalled at a piece of information that I have discovered. Grandparents can get paid to watch their own grandchildren in the state of WV! Is this not insane? I didn’t realize that our state was so rich that they can just pay people to raise their own families. What ever happened to working for a living and being a productive member of society? Being a taxpayer, this infuriates me. I have made several telephone calls to the DHHR and MountainHeart to find out more. They both verified this. According to both organizations, there are “several grandparents in our immediate area” that have signed up for this waste of taxpayer money. Does anyone else find this ludicrous? There have been times when I have asked my parents to keep my daughter for me, due to my illness or a conflict in scheduling, and never have they required money to do it. They do it because they love both of us. That is called family!

I questioned the certification process for this. I was told that a home visit must be done, the individuals must take a few childcare classes, and then a criminal background check must be completed. I then questioned the absence of a mental heath screening. And this is the clincher ... they don’t conduct a mental health check on these individuals. I was told that the HIPPA laws of confidentiality come into play, and unless the person offers up any history of mental illness — it goes unknown. (The reason for my inquiry is that I personally know of two individuals who have attempted suicide in the recent past due to mental illness. As a means of making money off of the system, they were recently certified through the state of WV to keep their own grandchildren. This is not a fit environment, in my opinion. I am worried for the safety of the children involved, and according to the state — nothing can be done.)

As a parent, this disturbs me. This says that anyone with severe depression, mood swings, schizophrenia, severe bipolar disorder, etc. can keep children. Just because they don’t have a criminal past does not mean they are fit to be childcare providers. When will this law be changed? Does something have to happen to the children before someone stands up and takes notice?

— Jennifer Cooke-McGinnis

Princeton, WV