West Virginia2026Enacted

HB4354

HB4354: Rules for Clothing and Necessities Allowances

Last scannedAug 22, 2026, 11:08 AM

In one sentence

This law sets rules to ensure children in foster care receive enough clothes and essential items by creating a minimum funding allowance and defining how payments are made.

Requires workers and placement providers to check if a child has enough clothes when they first enter care.
Sets a minimum payment of $375 for an initial clothing allowance if the child needs new items.
Creates rules for updating a list of a child's belongings as they move between different homes or placements.
Establishes three ways to pay for these items, with a special reloadable card being the first choice.
Requires placement providers and workers to keep receipts so purchases can be tracked.

Children removed from their homes who are in the legal custody of the Department of Human Services
Foster parents, kinship parents, and residential care providers
The Bureau of Social Services within the Department of Human Services

The law does not list specific items that count as approved necessities beyond the general definition.
Reimbursement using personal funds is only allowed if other payment methods are not feasible.
The exact date this law takes effect depends on a calculation of 90 days from its passage.

Plain language

Adequate wardrobe: Clothes that are in good condition, appropriate for all seasons, and fit a child for their entire time in placement.
Approved necessities: Items other than clothes that the department has approved as necessary to care for a child.
Placement provider: A foster parent, kinship parent, or residential care provider where a child lives while in state custody.

Official record

Validated

Relating to necessity allowance

Official activity