Developing a Continuum of Independent Living and Transitional Support Services for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care, the official text

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

         2026 REGULAR SESSION

                   ENROLLED

           House Bill 4730

                       BY DELEGATE BURKHAMMER
          [Passed March 9, 2026; in effect 90 days from

                         passage (June 7, 2026)]
    Enr HB 4730

1 AN ACT to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section,

2   designated §49-2-129a, relating to the development of a continuum of services and

3   supports for youth who are preparing to exit foster care or who have aged out of that care.

    Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    ARTICLE 2. STATE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CHILDREN.

    §49-2-129a. Development of a continuum of independent living and transitional support

    services for youth aging out of foster care.

1   (a) By January 1, 2027, the Department of Human Services shall develop and maintain a

2 coordinated continuum of services and supports for all youth who are preparing to exit foster care

3 or who have recently aged out of care.

4   (b) The development process shall include, at a minimum, consultation with:

5   (1) Representatives of contracted providers delivering independent living and transitional

6 services across diverse geographic regions; and

7   (2) Individuals with lived experience in foster care; and community partners and

8 stakeholders providing housing, employment, educational, and supportive services to

9 transitioning youth.

10  (c) The department shall ensure that the continuum of supports is in place prior to the

11 youth exiting or aging-out of foster care, and that the continuum of supports has network adequacy

12 for statewide coverage.

13  (d) The department shall ensure that the continuum of supports includes program models

14 designed to meet the differing levels of independence and supervision required by youth as they

15 progress toward self-sufficiency.

16  (e) The continuum shall include, at minimum:

17  (1) Three phases of supportive living arrangements providing on-site independent living,

18 scattered site living arrangements and supportive independent living; and

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19      (2) Services to support youth to achieve self-sufficiency must include, at a minimum,

20 services designed to improve practical and daily living skills, social and emotional skills, and

21 education and career development skills.

22      (f) The department shall, in collaboration with contracted providers, develop and

23 implement a per diem rate structure for independent living and transitional youth services. The

24 rate structure shall:

25      (1) Account for the varying levels of supervision, staffing, and program intensity required

26 to meet the individual needs of youth;

27      (2) Be designed to maximize federal Title IV-E reimbursement until the age of 21;

28      (3) Include an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for youth consistent with guidance

29 issued by the Social Security Administration;

30      (4) Be reviewed for sufficiency at least once every three years;

31      (5) Be adjusted as necessary to ensure the adequacy and equity of reimbursement rates

32 to support quality service delivery and provider sustainability;

33      (6) Include rate variability to account for fair market rent rates and assure quality staffing;

34 and

35      (7) Be inclusive of a monthly stipend paid directly to youth to cover basic costs needed for

36 a safe dwelling when the youth achieves independent living.

37      (g) Data collection and continuous quality improvement;

38      (1) The department shall implement a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) process to

39 evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, and outcomes of independent living and transitional

40 support services;

41      (2) The CQI process shall include: performance measures and outcome indicators

42 addressing National Youth in Transition Database outcomes, including housing stability,

43 employment, education, permanency connections, and overall well-being; mechanisms for

44 obtaining input from youth participants and contracted providers; and

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45  (3) Starting December 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, reports to Legislative Oversight

46 Committee on Health and Human Resources of aggregate findings and recommendations for

47 system improvement and shall include reporting on the proportionate share of Title IV-E

48 expenditures, Chafee education and training grants, and state dollars.

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              The Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of the Senate hereby

         certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.
         ...............................................................

              Clerk of the House of Delegates
                           ...............................................................
                                        Clerk of the Senate

         Originated in the House of Delegates.
         In effect 90 days from passage.

                                       ...............................................................
                                          Speaker of the House of Delegates
                                                           ...............................................................
                                                                     President of the Senate
                                                        __________

              The within is ................................................ this the...........................................
         Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2026.

                                                                   .............................................................
                                                                                         Governor

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