Relating to performance-based contracting for child placing agencies

HB 5529 requires West Virginia's Department of Human Services to implement performance-based contracts with child-placing agencies by July 1, 2026. The bill mandates contracts that link payments to measurable outcomes like child safety, permanency, well-being, and foster parent recruitment, while requiring agencies to use evidence-based practices. It also establishes a minimum $1,000 payment per finalized adoption for agencies and allows performance-based payment incentives to encourage timely permanency for children. The law directly affects child-placing agencies, foster parents, and the Department of Human Services by changing how services are funded based on results.