The proposed bill aims to establish the Sustainable Child-Serving Workforce and Foster Care Modernization Act in West Virginia, introducing a new article to the state's code. This legislation focuses on modernizing foster care rates and stabilizing the workforce within the foster care system. Specifically, it mandates the Department of Human Services, Bureau for Social Services, to rebase foster care rates—basic, special, and therapeutic—using current cost data starting from the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that therapeutic foster care and child-placing agency administrative rates will be adjusted to reflect current costs, which will also include incentive payments aimed at promoting retention and ensuring placement stability for children in foster care. This comprehensive approach seeks to enhance the quality of care provided to children and support the professionals working within the foster care system.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 49-13-1
Committee Substitute: 49-13-1