Life has thrown Virginia families more than their fair share of challenges in recent years. From the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic to the strain of school closures and economic uncertainty, families have shown incredible strength. However, a new crisis is on the horizon, one that could devastate the foundation of Virginia’s communities: the impending child care cliff.
The Looming Crisis
A recent analysis highlighted a grim scenario: without swift intervention from Congress, an estimated 88,265 children in Virginia are on the brink of losing their child care beginning September 30. This alarming projection stems from the anticipated closure of nearly 1,400 child care programs across the state. As families are already grappling with rising costs and a lack of affordable child care, this crisis could have far-reaching consequences.
The Human Face of the Crisis
As a mother who works outside of the home, this issue hits close to home for me. My own family went through the challenges of child care upheaval during the pandemic. The closure of my son’s child care provider due to health concerns left us scrambling to find alternative solutions for him. Later, it became evident that he needed additional support. Our journey through assessments and evaluations eventually led us to the Chesterfield County pre-kindergarten program, where he finally received the specialized care he required.
Sr. Policy and Programs Director with her son, Perry at the Virginia General Assembly
Through this personal experience, I gained a profound understanding of the critical significance of accessible and high-quality child care for every child. As federal funding for child care approaches its expiration, families like mine are bracing for even greater obstacles in securing the necessary care and support our children need to truly flourish.
Other families shared their stories in The Campaign for a Family Friendly Virginia’s storybook.
A Beacon of Hope: The Childcare for Working Families Act
Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, along with Senators Patty Murray, Bob Casey, and Mazie Hirono, recognize the urgency of this situation. They are advocating for the passage of the Child Care for Working Families Act—a bill that could provide the lifeline Virginia families need. This bill aims to offer critical federal funding to stabilize the child care sector and alleviate the financial burden on families.
Under the proposed legislation, most families would pay $10 a day or less for child care, ensuring that the cost won’t become an insurmountable obstacle. Additionally, the bill seeks to prevent the projected closure of child care programs by providing subsidies to child care providers. These subsidies would guarantee a living wage for child care workers and elevate their roles to be more on par with elementary school teachers. The bill also envisions expanding access to Pre-K and full-day, full-year Head Start programs, enhancing early childhood education across the state.
Your Voice Matters: Act Now
As the countdown to September 30th looms, your voice is needed more than ever. Use our link to email your local congressperson today and urge them to support the Child Care for Working Families Act. By doing so, you can help prevent a catastrophic loss of child care for tens of thousands of Virginia’s families. Let your congressperson know that this issue directly impacts their constituents, and that the future of our communities depends on their support.
The time for action is now. By raising your voice and advocating for the Child Care for Working Families Act, you are standing up for Virginia’s families, children, and the prosperity of our commonwealth. Together, we can ensure that the child care cliff becomes averted, allowing families to continue thriving and children to have the opportunities they deserve.
We are excited to share that we are hiring, please see the position and description below.
Now Hiring
Senior Policy Analyst: Mental Health
Reports to: Director of Policy and Programs
Position Status: Exempt, Salaried; 40 hours/week
Salary: $60,000-65,000 with robust employee benefits package detailed below
Position is based in Richmond, VA. Voices has a hybrid work schedule with an in-office day on Wednesdays required. Additional in-person days are required during the General Assembly session.
To apply: This position will remain posted until the job is filled. The application deadline is July 19, 2023. Target start date is mid-August.
Submit the following in an email to megan@vakids.org. “Sr. Policy Analyst Application” in the subject line.
Cover letter
Résumé
Three references (We will not contact references until later in the hiring process.)
About Voices for Virginia’s Children
Voices for Virginia’s Children champions public policies and legislation that achieve positive and equitable outcomes for young people. We envision a Virginia in which our systems center young people, ensuring their ability to realize their brightest potential is no longer predictable by race, socioeconomic status, or geography.
We are a talented team motivated by the significance and impact of our work. Voices values its employees, encouraging them to be their authentic selves, and works to maintain a flexible and supportive workplace. We create an environment where our team can thrive as it works to support a thriving Virginia.
DEIB Statement
We work to create a brave place that empowers others to be their authentic selves. We acknowledge and celebrate the differences within each other.
We recognize that the children and families of VA are unique in their backgrounds, beliefs, opportunities, and challenges. We strive to embody and embrace that in our work, believing that our unique identities allow us to create a brighter future for Virginia’s children. Through our efforts, we will engage diverse perspectives and inform equitable and just policy solutions that will transform children’s lives and may dismantle systems of oppression.
We are a group that learns and grows collectively. We value accountability and hold ourselves and others to high standards of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. We also create opportunities for others to join us on this journey.
Values & Cultural Promises
Accountability: We act ethically and are good stewards of the resources entrusted to us. We hold ourselves and others to a high standard of performance and ethics. We clearly outline expectations of outcomes. We commit to being true to our word and following through on commitments. We accept responsibility for our actions and the effects they have on others and commit to always doing better next time
Collaboration: We actively seek opportunities to partner together to reach our goals. We work together through a sustainable pattern of sharing, creating, innovating, and learning. We recognize and utilize each person’s unique skills and viewpoints with the goal of complementing strengths and competencies to maximize our impact. We strive to create a balance of responsibilities, keeping equity at the center of our work.
Excellence: We strive to be leaders in our areas by holding ourselves to the highest levels of learning and performance. We refuse to take shortcuts at the cost of quality or relationships. We devote ourselves to being trailblazers and disrupting the status quo.
Honesty: We commit to being upright, candid, and sincere. We will be transparent and admit our mistakes. We will lean into hard conversations for the sake of growth. We choose to be authentic and to show up as our true selves in our conversations and interactions.
Kindness: We are generous and considerate in our interactions with one another, showing genuine concern for one another. Our eyes are open to the needs of those around us and we are willing to lend a helping hand when needed. We speak and act in empathy, understanding that every person has their own challenges.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Senior Policy Analyst leads Voices’ policy and advocacy work in the mental health domain for young people aged 0-24. Mental health policy and advocacy work will be focused across systems that support young people in their homes, schools, and communities. The Senior Policy Analyst is committed to the mission, work, and values of Voices for Virginia’s Children, as well as to the principles of equity and inclusion.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Serves as the policy lead in domains related to mental health, working collaboratively with engagement staff to create a multi-disciplinary policy agenda
Creates and convenes an issue-specific policy network, provides support and technical assistance to partner coalitions and state workgroups to contribute to collective community impact and mobilize change
Uses data to identify trends in children and youth mental health that inform policy, outreach, and advocacy response
Participates in coalitions related to mental health and makes recommendations for Voices’ involvement in related issues
Serves on relevant workgroups convened by state agencies and legislative commissions and provides policy analysis expertise
Facilitates and mobilizes opportunities to support partner policy agendas and Voices unified policy agenda
Produces policy briefs and other documents summarizing policy research findings and recommendations
Fosters effective working relationships with officials in key departments of state government, legislators and legislative staff, and other state government policymakers
Conducts training and presentations on mental health advocacy
Conducts policy and research development in coordination with partner organizations to create policy proposals, briefs, products, and recommendations that impact the mental health outcomes of Virginia’s children and youth
Works collaboratively with the communications team to capture and share stories through various internal and external outlets
Fosters effective relationships with community members, key legislators, legislative staff, elected officials, appointed officials, local and state government policy makers, reporters, private and public organizations
Represents Voices as an organization that prioritizes policy change through the identification of legislative champions and strengthened relationships
Works collaboratively with the grants team to provide information and input on relevant grant proposals and reports
Contributes to the development and implementation of the organization’s strategic plan in collaboration with the CEO
Applies a trauma-informed & equity-informed lens to all responsibilities
Actively participates in staff meetings and organizational-wide events
Actively supports the goals of Voices overall by executing additional duties and responsibilities, as assigned
Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education and knowledge preferred
5+ years of experience in policy and legislative advocacy or relevant fields
Advanced knowledge and experience in the child and youth mental health domain
Ability to effectively analyze and interpret data
Excellent writing and speaking skills
Demonstrated ability to clearly communicate complex policy information to a variety of audiences
Experience in understanding and addressing racial/ethnic disparities
Experience with media/communications
Ability to work independently, but also to collaborate effectively with colleagues in a team environment
Strong conflict resolution skills
Compensation and benefits:
The salary for this position is $60,000-65,000. Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance (with fully covered employee premiums); 30 days of PTO and 11 paid holidays; paid parental leave; a retirement plan with 3% contributions from employer; professional development stipend; a hybrid work environment.
Voices provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
We are excited to share that we are hiring, please see the position and description below.
Position: Communications Manager Reports to: Operations Manager Position Status: Exempt, Salaried; 40 hours/week Salary: $55,000-62,000 with robust employee benefits package detailed below Location: The position is based in Richmond, VA and Voices for Virginia’s Children is seeking a candidate residing in Virginia. Hybrid work schedule with Wednesday in the office is required. To apply: The application deadline is June 21, 2023. Target start date is August 1, 2023. See the instructions below.
About Voices for Virginia’s Children
Voices for Virginia’s Children champions public policies and legislation that achieve positive and equitable outcomes for young people. We envision a Virginia in which our systems center young people, ensuring their ability to realize their brightest potential is no longer predictable by race, socioeconomic status, or geography.
We are a talented team motivated by the significance and impact of our work. Voices values its employees, encouraging them to be their authentic selves, and works to maintain a flexible and supportive workplace. We create an environment where our team can thrive as it works to support a thriving Virginia.
DEIB Statement
We work to create a brave place that empowers others to be their authentic selves. We acknowledge and celebrate the differences within each other.
We recognize that the children and families of VA are unique in their backgrounds, beliefs, opportunities, and challenges. We strive to embody and embrace that in our work, believing that our unique identities allow us to create a brighter future for Virginia’s children. Through our efforts, we will engage diverse perspectives and inform equitable and just policy solutions that will transform children’s lives and may dismantle systems of oppression.
We are a group that learns and grows collectively. We value accountability and hold ourselves and others to high standards of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. We also create opportunities for others to join us on this journey.
Values & Cultural Promises
Accountability: We act ethically and are good stewards of the resources entrusted to us. We hold ourselves and others to a high standard of performance and ethics. We clearly outline expectations of outcomes. We commit to being true to our word and following through on commitments. We accept responsibility for our actions and the effects they have on others and commit to always doing better next time
Collaboration: We actively seek opportunities to partner together to reach our goals. We work together through a sustainable pattern of sharing, creating, innovating, and learning. We recognize and utilize each person’s unique skills and viewpoints with the goal of complementing strengths and competencies to maximize our impact. We strive to create a balance of responsibilities, keeping equity at the center of our work.
Excellence: We strive to be leaders in our areas through holding ourselves to the highest levels of learning and performance. We refuse to take shortcuts at the cost of quality or relationships. We devote ourselves to being trailblazers and disrupting the status quo.
Honesty: We commit to being upright, candid, and sincere. We will be transparent and admit our mistakes. We will lean into hard conversations for the sake of growth. We choose to be authentic and to show up as our true selves in our conversations and interactions.
Kindness: We are generous and considerate in our interactions with one another, showing genuine concern for one another. Our eyes are open to the needs of those around us and we are willing to lend a helping hand when needed. We speak and act in empathy, understanding that every person has their own challenges.
Position Summary
The Communications Manager reports to the Operations Manager and has primary responsibility in communications development and implementation for Voices for Virginia’s Children. This position will work across the organization to provide communication support in the areas of fund development, data and research, policy and advocacy. The Communications Manager is committed to the mission, work, and values of Voices for Virginia’s Children, as well as to the principles of equity and inclusion.
Communications Development and Implementation
Create and execute a communications plan/calendar that incorporates a wide variety of communications platforms, strategies, and methods to reach Voices for Virginia’s Children’s diverse audiences
Work collaboratively with the Voices for Virginia’s Children team to fully convey the work of the organization in all its communications
Develop a strong and contemporary social media presence
Manage the Voices for Virginia’s Children’s website, social media strategy and presence, and digital communications
Design graphics and digital and visual content for communications
Translate data related to policy issues into meaningful visualizations, such as infographics and maps
Write, edit, and design internal and external communications
Maintain a thorough understanding of organizational goals, priorities, and programs to support all communications, including fundraising and policy strategies and goals
Evaluation and Reporting
Develop an evaluation structure to assess the effectiveness of communications efforts
Create and assess reports for leadership related to evaluation, including recommendations for strategic adjustments
Collaboration
Engage in cross-team collaboration with colleagues
Manage relationships with vendors and contractors that support communications plan execution
Work with partner organizations to share the work and impact of Voices for Virginia’s Children
Preferred Qualifications
Three years’ communications experience gained through any combination of lived and work experience
Superior communication, writing, and interpersonal skills
A passion for improving the lives of Virginia’s young people
A demonstrated understanding of storytelling, effective communications strategy, and visual design that supports organizational goals and inspires action and change
Experience working with Constant Contact, WordPress, Adobe, and Canva. Voices also intends to expand its use of data visualization platforms, such as Datawrapper
Compensation and Benefits
The salary for this position is $55,000-62,000. Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance (with fully covered employee premiums); 30 days of PTO and 11 paid holidays; paid parental leave; a retirement plan with 3% contributions from employer; professional development stipend; a hybrid work environment.
Voices provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
How To Apply
Submit the following in an email to jobs@thesparkmill.com. Include “Communications Manager – Voices for Virginia’s Children” in the subject line.
Résumé
Three references (We will not contact references until later in the hiring process.)
In lieu of a cover letter, please provide responses to the following questions:
What is the role of strategy in communications?
Describe your personal commitment and actions toward diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
The Spark Mill is conducting Voices for Virginia’s Children’s current search for this position. The Spark Mill is a Consulting Firm that supports organizations through change and champions diversity, equity, and inclusion while supporting agencies with strategic planning initiatives, change management, and people operations.
The Foster Care Caucus, co-chaired by Senator Monty Mason and Delegate Emily Brewer, held its first meeting of the legislative session on January 31. The caucus meeting is an opportunity for members to share their legislative priorities and to receive updates from the Virginia Department of Social Services. Plus, advocates are able to participate by sharing their own experiences and priorities with policymakers.
Highlights from the Caucus meeting:
The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) Commissioner Dr. Danny Avula shared that local departments are dealing with 30% or more vacancy rates, creating numerous challenges for the agency to do their work.
The agency urged the caucus to take two immediate actions:
Support pay increases for child welfare workers through the budget process.
Increase funding for the child welfare stipend program.
Caucus co-chair Senator Mason filed a budget amendment for $240,000 to expand the child welfare stipend program that, if included in the final budget, would widen the pipeline for new child welfare workers.
One of the most poignant moments of the caucus meeting was hearing from youth advocates Abigail Ritchie and Jah’Miya Vaughn who spoke on the importance of youth in care to be supported with obtaining drivers licenses and financial assistance to pay for car insurance. Delegate Tata has filed a budget amendment that would direct VDSS to create a driver’s license program for youth in care.
In addition to the Foster Care Caucus Meeting this week, our partners at Children’s Home Society hosted their annual foster care advocacy day on February 1. This was held virtually with professionals working in foster care, foster parents and private providers, among other advocates. Legislators heard stories from people with lived experience in the foster care system and what actions we need them to take to improve outcomes and experience for families.
Senator Favola, Chair of the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services, has reintroduced a bill to create a Foster Care Prevention Program after it fell short during the 2022 legislative session. SB 923 establishes a program to facilitate placements of children and youth with relatives and ensure that these relatives are provided with the resources necessary to care for the children.
Virginia has significantly increased kinship placements in the past few years, going from 5% of overall placements in 2016 to nearly 20% in 2022, with the national average being around 30%. These increased placements have occurred because of several advancements such as the creation of the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program, creation of a kinship-only TANF financial assistance fund, and kin first guidance from the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS).
The bill introduced this year is slightly different and much improved compared to the previous version. Notably, this bill includes critical protections for both the child and their family of origin to ensure that parents have due process and kinship caregivers have added supports, with the remaining goal of reunification.
The bill would do the following:
A child is considered eligible for the foster care prevention program if:
The child is in the custody of a relative by a court order.
The child’s parent or guardian voluntarily placed the child with a relative and has a written agreement with the local board of social services.
The child demonstrates a strong attachment to the relative, and the relative has a strong commitment to caring for the child.
The local department of social services has documented the need for the child’s placement with the relative, including a description of the reasons the local board determined that the child was at imminent risk of removal.
If a child is deemed eligible:
The local Department of Social Services and the relative who has custody of an eligible child will enter into a written agreement. The agreement will include provisions regarding the amount of each Foster Care Prevention Program payment. In addition, the local department will determine if the kin needs ongoing case management services, in addition to the financial assistance.
The local board will identify the services and support that will be provided to the child, the relative with whom the child will be placed, and the child’s parent or guardian.
The local board will describe the requirements that the child’s parent or guardian need to meet for the child to return home and include the visitation arrangements for the child’s parent or guardian.
The parent or guardian must be made aware that they may seek legal counsel prior to entering into the agreement.
*For purposes of this section, “relative” means an adult who is either related to the child by blood, marriage, adoption, or fictive kin of the child.*
The Virginia General Assembly will have one more chance to improve foster care with Governor Youngkin’s proposed amendments to the budget. While the House and Senate accepted a budget compromise in June, Governor Youngkin has the opportunity to amend the budget and chose to make 35 amendments, including a proposal for an additional $5 million for the foster care system. House and Senate members will vote on each of the governor’s proposed amendments on June 17, 2022.
The foster care amendments are the result of recent discussions among the members of the “Safe and Sound Task Force” formed in April. Voices serves on this task force along with government agencies, the Virginia League of Social Services executives, and other community partners to find shelter for children sleeping in local departments of social services, hotels, and emergency rooms. The task force is working to ensure placements for children entering foster care and is collaborating with other state agencies to help meet the needs of children and families.
Safe and Sound Task Force meeting
The proposed additions in the budget include:
$592,120 for five positions to support the development of collaborative partnerships between local departments of social services (DSS) to increase capacity to approve kinship caregivers and recruit, train, and develop locally approved foster parents. This effort will support HB653, patroned by Del. Wampler, to facilitate collaboration between local DSS.
$1.1 million to create an enhanced treatment foster care pilot program, commonly known as the Professional Foster Parent Model. This program will serve foster homes caring for high acuity children and provide participating foster families with an annual stipend of up to $45,000 per youth.
$200,000 to cover the costs of coordination, recruitment, and additional training to foster care agencies.
$3,000,000 to support the initiatives of the Safe and Sound Task Force including community-based treatments, support for kinship, foster and adoptive families, and trauma-informed care for children in foster care who are displaced or who are at risk of being displaced.
These budget amendments were all recommended by the Safe and Sound Task Force which will continue to meet to address the current crisis in placement and the systems level changes needed to prevent children from entering foster care. As long-time advocates of improvements to Virginia’s foster care system, we are pleased to see these additional funds to address the on-going crisis within the system. We are especially pleased at the commitment to support Virginia’s kinship care families where the lack of investment in the past has especially burdened families of color. We urge the Virginia General Assembly to accept these amendments.
In Creole’ (Black, Indigenous and French) families, it is common for someone in the family to have an ancestral gift of hearing or even seeing from their ancestors who have passed over – I have this unique gift in my family. For me, it appears most often in my keen intuition of knowing which way to go, what someone needs to hear, or a gut feeling to speak the truth. Four years ago, my ancestors came to me in a vivid vision giving me the idea to start a youth advocacy cohort, giving youth who directly experienced the systems I was working to change the opportunity to educate lawmakers directly with my support. I had been so frustrated sitting in meetings with people who had never spent a day in foster care, or experienced poverty, but had access to change these systems. Later that year, I was presented an opportunity to become a CHAMPS partner and with it came a grant opportunity with the Annie E. Casey Foundation to make the vision my ancestors showed me a reality.
My social work student intern at the time was Sophia Booker, a former foster youth and advocate, currently working at UMFS, who was passionate about youth voice in the foster care system. Sophia was instrumental in making our very first cohort a success. She was not only a builder of the cohort with me, but a participant herself where she shared passionately her experience in care and how she’d like to see the system changed.
Since then, Voices has continued to have youth advocacy days, expanding into all of our areas of focus. Ultimately, this has led us to building a permanent youth council at the organization that we are in the process of piloting.
In the past three years, our youth advocacy cohorts have become more well known across the country as a model for how to engage youth voice in policy making. In mid-May, my partner with CHAMPS emailed that there was an opportunity for us to attend a White House roundtable discussion with the Domestic Policy Council to discuss foster care. In addition, they wanted me to identify a youth who could speak to their direct experience and give policy recommendations. I immediately contacted Sophia to see if she was interested, and who says no to the White House?
The White House invited six states to their roundtable discussion. Knowing this made Sophia and I both feel incredibly special to have been chosen to be there. As we walked into the White House Diplomat room I closed my eyes and thought of my ancestors—I wondered, “is this what you saw for me when you came to give me the youth advocacy idea?” I could have never envisioned myself in this room then.
Sophia and the other youth invited gave gut wrenching testimony on their experiences in the foster care system and what needs to change. Members of the council shed silent tears and we listened to their stories.
Some of the highlights that I will never forget were:
“My adoption lasted two weeks. That should NEVER happen.”
“I had my son in my twenties and I lived with my entire family. In my indigenous culture that is normal, but social services was at my door wondering why there were so many people in the home. There is no understanding of culture.”
“Kinship care can make a hopeless system into a hopeful system, but in order to do that, kinship families need resources. In New Jersey, we did a siblings bill of rights. My siblings were able to stay together because my grandmother took us all in, but most kids in foster care don’t get that opportunity.”
“I lived in a religious foster care group home, but I’m Gay. They tried to tell me I wasn’t or change me and that caused tremendous trauma. So I’m advocating for LGBTQ+ youth because many of us experience homelessness, including me.”
The White House Domestic Policy Council shared that the President is committed to investing in improvements to the Foster Care system, including making a $100 billion investment in the child welfare sector —focusing on prevention and kinship care. I am hopeful that there will be more opportunities to weigh in on these changes in the future and am more inspired than ever to continue listening to directly impacted individuals and give them the microphone to share their stories with lawmakers.
The White House released this brief about the roundtable.
The Foster Care system has been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last two years foster families have experienced greater financial stress, fewer foster parents have become trained, and turn over in the workforce has increased from already high levels. In some localities children have been sleeping in local department of social services offices while awaiting placement, resulting in the Governor calling a for a special “Safe and Sound” taskforce to address the urgent needs.
We are encouraged by the final budget including many of the initial priorities for foster care that Governor Northam introduced in December. Beyond those policies, several new programs were funded targeting older youth in care about to transition to adulthood. Ultimately, we still have a long way to go to properly fund our child welfare system.
Here are the highlights of the budget for child welfare advocates:
Investing in the Infrastructure of Child Welfare
The instability of the foster care workforce and outdated technology are major challenges in Virginia’s child welfare system. According to a 2018 JLARC report, the quit rate for an entry-level Family Services Worker Specialist is 42%, with retention being an even greater issue in small, rural agencies.
10% increase in staff and operations and Local Departments of Social Services over two years
$22 million for the replacement of the outdated child welfare data tracking system. Updated technology, along with updated training and child welfare courses, will allow social services to serve children and families more efficiently. This can reduce the length of time between a child entering foster care and finding permanent care through reunification, kinship care, or adoption.
$5 Million in mandated reinvestments to provide additional resources for ongoing mandated activities such as post adoption case management services, mutual family assessments, foster care and adoption services, and substance abuse services.
Scale Up Evidence & Community-Based Practices to Achieve Better Outcomes for Children and Families
Funding to provide fidelity monitoring and evaluation of evidence‐based prevention services, appropriates federal Transition Act funding and fully funds salaries for allocated program position.
Provide Social Supports & Easier Path for Kinship Caregivers
Funding for SB 396 provides that the court has the authority to review a foster care plan placement determination by a local board of social services
Funding for HB 653 Delegate Wampler which directs the Department of Social Services to establish and implement a collaborative local board placement program to increase kinship placements and the number of locally approved foster homes.
Help Foster Care Youth Have Normal Adolescent Experiences
Virginia continues to rank 49th in the country for youth in foster care aging out without a permanent connection. Investments in this area are desperately needed to support transition age youth.
Funding for the development of the iFoster Care Portal, a free internet resource that includes education assistance and workforce development options, as well as independent living resources geared for young adults who have experienced foster care.
$1 Million to develop a state-funded grant program providing a range of funding for the Great Expectations Program in the following areas: the hiring of college coaches or mentors, housing stipends, child care, and transportation needs.
Budget language directing the State Higher Education Council to examine the feasibility of having a point of contact at each public institution of higher education for students who have been involved in the foster care system.
Supporting the Efforts of the Safe and Sound Taskforce
After the budget was reconciled, Governor Youngkin introduced these budget amendments recommended by the Safe and Sound Task Force which will continue to meet to address the current crisis in placement and the systems level changes needed to prevent children from entering foster care.
$592,120 for five positions to support the development of collaborative partnerships between local departments of social services (DSS) to increase capacity to approve kinship caregivers and recruit, train, and develop locally approved foster parents. This effort will support HB653, patroned by Del. Wampler, to facilitate collaboration between local DSS.
$1.1 million to create an enhanced treatment foster care pilot program, commonly known as the Professional Foster Parent Model. This program will serve foster homes caring for high acuity children and provide participating foster families with an annual stipend of up to $45,000 per youth.
$200,000 to cover the costs of coordination, recruitment, and additional training to foster care agencies.
$3,000,000 to support the initiatives of the Safe and Sound Task Force including community-based treatments, support for kinship, foster and adoptive families, and trauma-informed care for children in foster care who are displaced or who are at risk of being displaced.
As a person who has always aspired to be a voice for children, being invited to the White House felt like a dream. Before I knew what the field of social work was, I decided at 11 years old that I would go to law school so that I could speak up for children. My passion is deeply personal as I have navigated the kinship foster care system myself and witnessed overwhelmed social workers first hand and at times, blatant racism that ran rampant in the child welfare system. Just before enrolling into law school, I was introduced to the field of social work and learned that there was a pathway for me to pursue my policy dreams with a concentration in macro social work.
My role as Policy and Programs Director at Voices for Virginia’s Children has afforded me many opportunities to change the very systems I that impacted me as a child. In 2018, I gave birth to my son, Perry, and becoming a mother again shifted how I viewed child welfare and deepened my understanding of how economics and mental stress can impact a person’s ability to parent.
My invitation to the White House happened quickly, I received a call on Wednesday and was there the following Tuesday. One of our national partners quickly submitted my name when the opportunity presented for families and advocates to meet with Secretary Beccera on pushing Build Back Better. As one of a few Black policy experts in child welfare, I have worked in conjunction with many national groups over the past six years. When the White House called (everyone wants to know if it was a private number but it wasn’t!), I was delighted to learn that they wanted me to bring my 4 year old son, Perry, with me when I attended the panel conversation. On a personal level, my partner and I have navigated obtaining an IEP for my son and in that process realized how difficult this would be for parents who do not have as much insider knowledge as I do. Even after my son started receiving services, I noted that for many working parents they would not be able to take the time off to get their children to therapies and could as a result have child protective services called for not complying with an IEP.
On the day of the event, my son and I made the trip to Washington DC using the Amtrak, which was the highlight of the experience for my son! The question I have been asked most is, “how did we arrive at the White House?” or “did they send us a personal car?” As simple as it sounds, we took a ride share from Union Station straight to the security check point in front of the White House. A wonderful staffer escorted us through a very thorough security process with the secret service and then we were inside! They took us straight to the room the roundtable discussion would be held in and I quickly noticed there were only yoga mats on the floor for the children. As a now mom of two young children, I pulled out my giant blanket and offered to lay it on the floor for my son and the other three children who had attended. I had also brought a bin of toys for my son to play with on the train and I dumped it out on the floor as well.
Participants’ children play on the floor at the White House as we awaited the roundtable beginning.
The White House roundtable was hosted by members of the Biden-Harris Administration: Secretary Xavier Becerra, Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein, and Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Mobility, Carmel Martin. Meeting the Secretary of Health and Human Services and other key officials felt easy in comparison to being a mom that day. I was more nervous that my son would scream or shout than what I would say during the roundtable. But to my delight, Secretary Becerra was incredibly personable, especially to our children. I will never forget my son saying, “I’m ready to go home now”, just as the camera was going live! I offered him a Reeses peanut butter cup as a reward for waiting a little bit longer.
When the roundtable started, I was asked about affordability for child care. The reality is that for me and many other families, child care is more than my mortgage, a lot more. There are two truths in affordable early childhood education—parents can’t afford to pay any more and educators can’t afford to earn any less. The math doesn’t work unless one side has to make up the difference. This is why a public investment in our system is so important, support needs to be provided for care to be affordable to parents and to attract a high quality workforce.
This trip was incredibly special to me, mainly because I got to share the experience with my son. I do not know if he will remember this trip, or if he will only remember being on a “choo choo train”, but I am already smiling thinking about the memories I will get to share with him as he gets older. My son’s life has made a profound difference in the way I do my work. While some may doubt the positive impact motherhood has on employment, I know that being a mom has improved my work efficiency and my compassion. It is my greatest hope that one day my son and daughter will look at the pictures below and know their mom was a part of making historic investments to improve the lives of children and their families.
Families in front of the West wing doors of the White House
Snapshot inside the roundtable discussion
Parents sharing their personal stories of how the cost of child care impacts their families
Parents, children, and White House officials gather for a picture after the roundtable
This is a guest blog post written for Voices for Virginia’s Children by Susan Hoover (pictured below).
Recall the day you obtained your driver’s license. Perhaps one of your parents took you to the DMV, helped you fill out the necessary forms, provided the requisite identification, and off you went to pass or fail the final test. Assuming you passed, all you wanted to do then was hop in the family car and drive somewhere. It didn’t matter where, right?
Now imagine having your new-found freedom abruptly curtailed as the cost of insurance to cover your driving is too high for the family budget. Although many parents bite the bullet and add their new driver to the family auto insurance plan, it is at a hefty cost, especially when the driver is less than 25 years old.
Nationwide, Americans spend about 2.44% of their household income on car insurance every year. In Virginia, the average cost of car insurance is $1,304 per year for full coverage. Of course, the actual rate depends on many factors, such as the area where one lives, the age of the driver, driving history (if any), the specific insurance company, and even the type of vehicle to be driven.
As expected, having a young driver means paying a premium for auto insurance, particularly for those drivers between 16-18 years old. In addition to the factors listed above, insurance companies also take into account the high average number of accidents and traffic-related fatalities for that age range when determining rates. It costs a lot to insure these new drivers – often more than those living in the low to middle income range can afford.
Now consider whether the new driver is currently a part of the state foster care system. In this case, more often than not, financial means are already stretched. So how can the youth or the foster family possibly add the additional cost of more car insurance to their budget?
Enter proposed Budget Amendment SB30.
This amendment, coming before the 2022 Session, enables the Department of Social Services to develop and implement a statewide driver’s licensing program to support foster care youth. In effect, funding – in the proposed amount of $200,000 each year – will be made available to local departments of social services to reimburse:
Foster care providers for the increase to their existing motor vehicle insurance premium that occurs when adding foster care youth to their insurance policy;
Foster care providers when they apply for and obtain additional coverage, such as an umbrella policy, to provide liability protection should the foster care youth get into, or cause, a catastrophic accident; and
Foster care youth who are part of Virginia’s Fostering Futures Program to assist them in covering the cost of obtaining their own motor vehicle insurance.
The Amendment further allows for:
Each department of social services to develop educational or training materials that “educate foster parents, private providers, and foster youth about: (i) liability issues, insurance laws, and common insurance practices (to include laws about renewal and cancellation, how long an accident can affect premiums, how to establish that a foster youth is no longer living in the residence, and other applicable topics); (ii) DMV requirements to obtain a learner’s permit and driver’s license; (iii) what funding and resources are available to assist in this process, to include paying school lab fees for “Behind the Wheel” or paying a private driving education company; and (iv) why getting a driver’s license on time is important for normalcy and a successful transition to adulthood.”
The benefits of this Amendment would be immediate for foster families and for the youth they care for. The financial burden of increased car insurance would be lifted, and the new driver would have the ability to drive to a job, school, or to assist with errands. It would help encourage a sense of responsibility, independence, and maturity for these youth.
For those youth in the Fostering Futures Program, passing this Amendment could significantly lessen the transportation burden many of them face. The possibility of owning or driving a car, rather than be dependent upon public transportation – its time tables and the specific geographic area it serves – broadens the job market and the ability to attend higher education institutions – two requirements of involvement in the Fostering Futures program.
About Susan Hoover: Sue Hoover joined Piedmont CASA in April 2019. Previously, she worked for CFA Institute as the editor of Connexions, and as the digital editor of the Enterprising Investor blog. She holds a BA degree from Lehigh University and a JD degree from the Washington College of Law, American University.
