Bill > HB4795

This bill modifies existing West Virginia law regarding when a child can be removed from a foster home or when a foster care arrangement can be terminated. Key changes include reducing the time a child must be in a foster home before the arrangement cannot be terminated without specific reasons from eighteen months to six months, and clarifying that a child can be returned to their biological parents as a reason for termination. The bill also introduces a new provision that if a child has been in foster care for over six months and parental rights have been terminated for over thirty days, and the foster parents haven't applied to adopt, the arrangement can be terminated if a better long-term placement is found, with special consideration for children aged 12 and older who may wish to stay. Additionally, the bill strengthens requirements for notifying foster or adoptive parents of siblings when a new child becomes available for placement or adoption, aiming to keep siblings together, and outlines procedures for when separating siblings might be necessary due to harm or differing needs, always prioritizing the child's best interests.

Health and Social Services

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4795&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill