The bill amends the Code of West Virginia by adding a new section, 49-2-127b, which establishes a temporary payment subsidy for kinship parents that is equal to the amount received by foster parents. To qualify for this temporary increase, kinship parents must meet specific conditions, including submitting to state and national criminal history record checks within five days of placement, receiving satisfactory results from these checks, and completing an initial home screening to address any life safety issues. The Department of Human Services is tasked with providing kinship parents a list of child placing agencies to assist them in obtaining foster parent certification.

The temporary payment will be available for a maximum of six months, starting within 30 days of the initial kinship placement, to allow the kinship parent time to become certified as a foster parent. If the kinship parent does not achieve certification within this period, the temporary increase will cease. Additionally, the bill grants the Department of Human Services the authority to conduct the necessary background checks and outlines the confidentiality of the results, stating that they are not public records. Kinship parents are responsible for the costs associated with fingerprinting and criminal history checks.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 49-2-815
Committee Substitute: 49-2-815
Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute: 49-2-127b
Engrossed Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute: 49-2-127b
Enrolled Version: 49-2-127b