HOUSE OF DELEGATES
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

BUILDING i. ROOM M-26O
1900 KANAWHA BLVD. EAST



January 28, 2020

Secretary Bill Crouch

Department of Health and Human Resources
1 Davis Square, Suite 100E

Charleston, WV 25301

Dear Secretary Crouch:

As you are aware, West Virginia?s Foster Care system is in crisis. As a state, we are placing more
children into foster and kinship care than any other state in the country, per capita. Our
numbers have increased by 67% since 2013, while the national trend has been a much lower
11%.

HB 4092 has been triple referenced to the Finance Committee, to whom you will be presenting
your FY2021 budget on Thursday at 9:00 AM. During that hearing, we would like for you to be
prepared to answer the following questions regarding your Department?s budget for Foster
Care:

0 In the current fiscal year?s budget, how much of Foster Care budget goes
to operating costs, how much to other agency expenses, and how much to
foster/kinship families?

I In the documents our committee has seen regarding the Governor?s proposed
budget, there is already an increase in budget. What additional monies
will be requested for 

How much additional money would DHHR need if HB 4092 were to pass?

0 If HB 4092 were to pass with the additional funding for foster/kinship families,
would all of the additional monies go to the foster/kinship providers?

0 What is the daily cost per child to house foster children in residential or
emergency care facilities?

a What is the daily rate per child in surrounding states?

0 If the daily rate per child is increased per HB 4092, will this give more families the
ability to become foster families?

We appreciate your attention to this issue and look forward to your presentation on Thursday.

  

 

  

Delegate Mick Bates


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Delegate Brent Boggs 

  
  

 

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Delegate John Williams

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Delegate Isaac Sponaugle

   





 

 

I Delegate Bill Hartman

cc: The Honorable Roger Hanshaw, Speaker ofthe House
The Honorable Tim Miley, Minority Leader of the House
The Honorable Eric Householder, Chair of House Finance Committee