February 16, 2018
It’s “crossover” week in the General Assembly — a time of transition when the Senate and House of Delegates exchange bills for review in the opposite house. Voices for Virginia’s Children has shared a few great updates, and we’re passing them along to our readers:
• Trauma-Informed Care Action Alert
This year Voices’ legislative agenda targets investments in policies that are trauma-informed, as detailed in our blog. Please write to members of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees today to support investments in health, human services, and education that take a trauma-informed approach!
• Foster Care and Adoption
Read our blog to track the progress of bills and budget amendments dealing with the creation of the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP), adoptions by close relatives, and adoptions by foster parents. We will update our blog again later today after the House Appropriations Subcommittee votes on HB 1333 regarding creation of the KinGAP.
• School-to-Prison Pipeline
Read our blog for updates on amendments to bills related to suspension of pre-K to third-grade students and long-term supsension of K-12 students. Our blog also tracks progress on other bills related to student discipline issues and youth incarceration.
Have you called your legislator yet this year? (Find them here.) Want to track a specific bill? (Find it here.)