CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Taylor County lawmaker is calling for meaningful reform within the Child Protective Services system following the death of an 11 year old in Taylor County.
Senator Jay Taylor, R-Taylor, 14, said weeks before Miana Moran was found weighing 43 pounds and four feet tall, CPS workers were in the home, and the child still passed away. Taylor said the 11-year-old was a human being and deserved the protection families should expect from CPS workers.
“Governor Morrisey has now publicly confirmed the Department of Human Services has opened an internal investigation into CPS involvement in this case,” Taylor said. ” That alone tells us what every West Virginian already knows- something went wrong and it cannot be ignored.”
During a speech on the Senate floor, Taylor said residents of the state deserve answers, and he hopes those answers lead to the source of the breakdown. Only a truly independent investigation will objectively present the circumstances that resulted in months, maybe years of abuse that resulted in her death.
“We cannot accept a system where the agency investigates itself behind closed doors and elected lawmakers are truly unable to confirm that the children are being protected,” Taylor said.
The child was found during a welfare check before her death with head lice, bones protruding from skin, a yellow tint to her skin, and multiple cuts and bruises. Taylor contends the lasting solution to this problem will only be possible when the painful details of the case are made public and those responsible are held accountable.
“This child was not homeschooled. Public reporting confirms that Miana was enrolled in the public virtual school program at Upshur County Schools,” Taylor said. “We owe the public the truth because a wrong diagnosis will lead to the wrong reforms.”
In the past, elected officials have been respectful of the circumstances around the work of CPS and have either been denied information or limited their questions.
“For years CPS has functioned largely out of public view, and that secrecy is sometimes justified in the name of protecting children,” Taylor said. “But, secrecy without oversight does not protect children, it protects systems.”
So far in the case, custodian Shannon Robinson, 51, and father Aaron Moran have been charged with murder by a parent or guardian. The internal investigation and the continued work of Taylor County prosecutor John Bord could result in additional charges. Taylor wants the ultimate outcome of this incident to be increased public confidence in the Department of Health Services and CPS.
“Yes, we should address pay. People in every profession want a raise, and this work is difficult and emotionally taxing,” Taylor said. “But compensation alone does not fix a system that operates behind a cloak of secrecy with too little accountability.”
Story originated from sister station WAJR