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2020 Legislative Session Advocating For Kids In Foster Care (Updated Feb. 21st)

  • Child Welfare
  • State Advocacy

By Allison Gilbreath

Foster care is a state-run program that provides temporary care for children who cannot live with their parents or other relatives. Through this system, the local department of social services takes legal custody of a child when a parent or parents are unable to care for him or her, most often because of neglect and/or abuse. Placement of a child in foster care should be temporary and family based, when possible, until a more permanent connection is made. Preferred options include working with families to improve conditions in order to return children to their homes, placement with a relative, or adoption.

The Foster Care Unified Agenda is created by partners from across the Commonwealth who represent policy advocates, service providers, parents and caregivers, and—most especially—youth to identify key legislative opportunities to improve Virginia’s child welfare system.

In 2019, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission on foster care study revealed Virginia’s longstanding failings in Virginia’s foster care system. It showed a lack of adherence to requirements in some cases, a need to place more children in family-based foster care settings (including kinship care), high caseloads, and a 40% turnover rate in the workforce. In 2019, the legislature made several sweeping reforms to the foster care system. However, this year the foster care unified agenda is focused on continuing momentum and advancing needed financial investments into foster care.

Members Include:

 

Bills We Support:

Budget Items We Support:

For a more comprehensive update on where items stand in the budget, visit our blog.

 

In the News:

Kinship care’ foster families would get money in proposed budgetVirginia Mercury: December 19, 2019

Foster Care Caucus plans to build on momentum in its second legislative session – Richmond Times Dispatch – January 15, 2020

Lawmakers Want to Help Foster Care Youth Get Driver’s LicensesVPM – February 6, 2020


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