By TAYLOR STUCK The Herald-Dispatch
CHARLESTON — Supporters of the foster care reform bill are still optimistic about the legislation as it faces a partisan battle in the West Virginia Senate on Friday morning.
House Bill 4092 was moved to third reading with right to amend Thursday. As of press time Thursday, there were four amendments pending.
One of the amendments would reinstate language that increased reimbursement payments to foster families, which was removed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
As passed by the House, the bill increased the reimbursement given to foster families from $600 a month per child to $900 a month per child if they foster through the state, and increased child placement agency reimbursements from the state. The Senate replaced that language with a new code section titled “Priorities for Use of Funds.” The section requires the Department of Health and Human Resources to expand a tiered foster care system that provides “higher payments” for foster parents and child placement agencies who are providing care to children who have severe emotional, behavioral, or intellectual problems or disabilities by July 2021.
It also requires DHHR to develop a pilot program to increase state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits paid to uncertified kinship parents.
Of all the changes the Senate made to the bill, the reimbursement rate is the largest and arguably the most impactful. It is also causing the most tension in the Senate. …
