WV HB4378

Expands the types of out-of-home placements that trigger mandatory termination of parental rights proceedings to include foster care, kinship placement, residential facilities, and care of a non-offending parent (previously only foster care was specified)

Requires the Department of Human Services to file for termination of parental rights when a child has been in any of these expanded placement types for 15 of the most recent 22 months

Applies the same 15-month limit to improvement periods, prohibiting any combination of improvement periods from causing a child to remain in these placements beyond 15 of 22 months unless the court finds compelling circumstances

Retains existing grounds requiring termination petitions, including abandonment, torture, sexual abuse, chronic abuse, or when a parent has committed murder, voluntary manslaughter, or serious violent crimes against children or family members