Relating to the temporary payment to a kinship parent of a subsidy equal to that of a foster parent
Summary
HB4390 creates a temporary payment increase for kinship parents caring for a child at the time of initial placement. Under the bill, a kinship parent may receive a subsidy equal to the foster parent rate if they promptly submit to state and national criminal history record checks, the Department of Human Services is satisfied with the results, and the home screening identifies and corrects any life-safety issues. The temporary higher payment is intended to bridge the period while the kinship caregiver works toward foster parent certification.
The bill requires the Department of Human Services to provide kinship parents with a list of child placing agencies that can help them become certified foster parents and meet other certification requirements. The temporary increase begins within 30 days of placement and may continue for no more than six months. If the caregiver does not become certified within that period, the increased payment ends, though other kinship resources remain available regardless of certification status.
Impact
HB4390 adds a new section to West Virginia Code §49-2 governing state responsibilities for children, specifically creating a temporary foster-rate subsidy for eligible kinship placements. It authorizes DHS to conduct and use state and national criminal history record checks, makes those records confidential and not subject to public records laws, and requires the kinship parent to pay fingerprinting and background-check costs. The bill affects kinship caregivers, foster care placement processes, DHS administration, and child placing agencies that assist with certification.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the House 90-0 and the Senate 32-0, suggesting general agreement that kinship caregivers should receive temporary financial parity with foster parents while they complete certification requirements. The lack of recorded dissent or committee controversy indicates a favorable overall sentiment toward supporting relative caregivers and stabilizing child placements.
Contention
No major contention is reflected in the available record. The main policy details are administrative rather than ideological: eligibility depends on timely background checks, home screening, and eventual foster certification, and the caregiver must pay the actual fingerprinting and record-check costs. Any potential concern would likely center on the balance between providing immediate financial support to kinship families and maintaining screening and certification safeguards, but no specific objections were recorded in the votes or transcripts.