Bill > SB455

This bill aims to ensure that kinship parents and fictive kin, who are individuals caring for children related to them or who are close family friends, receive the same financial support and resources as certified foster parents. Kinship parents are relatives who care for a child, while fictive kin are individuals who have an unusually close relationship with a child and their family, functioning as a family member. The bill proposes to remove the requirement for kinship parents and fictive kin to become certified, a process that can be burdensome, while still maintaining necessary safety and background checks for child placement. This change is intended to alleviate the significant barriers and difficulties these caregivers often face in providing for the children in their care.

Health and Social Services

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=455&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill