Bill > HB2367

This bill introduces several key provisions to improve the foster care system in West Virginia. It establishes a web-based communication system to facilitate better information sharing among child welfare professionals, foster parents, and kinship parents, with features including secure access, communication tracking, and health record sharing. The bill creates an independent advisory board composed of diverse stakeholders like current and former foster parents, social workers, law enforcement, educators, and government representatives to provide ongoing input and recommendations for system improvements. It expands the Foster and Kinship Parent Bill of Rights to include more comprehensive record-keeping and documentation rights, such as providing families with Journey Placement Notebooks and ensuring they can contribute to and review documents related to the foster child. The legislation also mandates yearly reviews of foster care subsidies and assistance programs to better reflect current financial needs, and requires that all drug screenings for parents during improvement periods be conducted using in-state laboratories, with a specific requirement for parents to complete a hair follicle drug screen before their improvement period can conclude. Additionally, the bill prioritizes preventing child removal, identifying relative and kinship placements, and developing a tiered foster care system that provides higher payments for caring for children with significant emotional, behavioral, or intellectual challenges.

Health and Social Services

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=2367&year=2025&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill