Ensuring equal financial support to kinship parents and fictive kin

Senate Bill 165 requires West Virginia to provide all current financial support available to certified foster parents to kinship parents (family caregivers) and fictive kin (non-relatives with strong family bonds), without requiring them to become certified foster parents. It directly affects these caregivers who previously faced unequal support compared to foster parents. The bill mandates that the state extend all existing foster parent benefits while maintaining required safety and background checks for placements. This eliminates certification barriers that created undue burdens for kinship and fictive kin caregivers.