Funds Depleted For Clothing Vouchers; Chairman Says ‘There Wasn’t Any Reduction’

Applications for West Virginia’s School Clothing Allowance program opened later than usual this year – and closed earlier than expected.  

“The program’s opening had been on hold amid uncertainty over the state’s federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding. Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced that West Virginia has ensured that the funding needed to open the program for families this year will be available,” read a statement on the West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), Bureau for Family Assistance website. 

That statement alarmed some families who rely on the $200 clothing voucher to pay for back-to-school clothing for their children. 

A woman WVPB has agreed to call Barri is one of them. 

A single parent with seven children, she asked not to be identified because the details are personal. But she said she transitioned to part-time work after accepting three kinship placements.  

“Two of my children have complex medical and special needs,” she said. “So there’s a lot of doctor’s appointments, there’s a lot of therapies, there’s a lot of things where it has caused me to only be able to work part-time.” 

With a household income of roughly $25,000, Barri said she applied in person for vouchers on July 20, the first day applications for the program opened.  

“For my older children, it buys a little less. But for my younger children, that would have most likely been most of what they needed clothing-wise to start school,” she said. “It definitely would have been two pairs of shoes, six to eight outfits or more. It would have been their coat. I always try to buy their coats with a clothing voucher because I know down the line, winter comes quick. They’re going to need that coat.” 

But when she called to check on her application, Barri said she was told the funds had all been depleted. 

“We won’t be receiving the clothing vouchers this year, and it’s just going to be a huge struggle,” she said. 

“The 2026 School Clothing Allowance application period has closed effective 11:59 PM on July 27, 2026, since program funding has been depleted,” reads a red banner on the state’s Bureau for Family Assistance website.  

Sen. Brian Helton, R-Fayette, chairs the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee which oversees the TANF program. He said the window was compacted for this year’s application process, but that $11.4 million was appropriated for the voucher program – the same amount as last year.  

“My understanding is, as of today, there have been 52,000 children that have applied for the program, which is sort of in line with what has happened the previous years,” Helton said. “As far as the overall appropriation, the amounts of dollars, there wasn’t any reduction.”  

He said the program is depleted every year, but it appears that roughly the same number of children will receive assistance.