New VA legislation prioritizes family members in child welfare system
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PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed legislation that would prioritize family members when social services are looking for where to place a child.
House Bill 27 and Senate Bill 39 were signed into law on Tuesday. The bills established the Parental Child Safety Placement Program which creates a framework for local departments of social services to place children with their families and relatives. This is part of a “Kin First” ideology as it refers to the child welfare system.
“Today, we celebrate a milestone more than a decade in the making,” Youngkin said. “An overwhelming collection of hearts have come together to demonstrate that working in partnership we can fundamentally change lives.”
The goal of the legislation is to prioritize putting kids with family members and providing them with financial support to help mitigate trauma stemming from multiple placements.
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