Youngkin Signs Bills Aimed at Helping Virginia’s Kids Avoid Foster Care

Hanover County, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - Governor Youngkin has signed two bipartisan bills that focus on helping Virginia children avoid foster care.

The bills create the Parental Child Safety Placement Program, allowing local Departments of Social Services to facilitate an agreement between a child’s biological parents and a relative so that relative may take care of the child to avoid putting them in foster care.

“Our kinship care bill allows for an option for relatives or fictive kin to accept the guardianship of a child who may be at risk because his or her family is going through a crisis,” said Sen. Barara Favola (D-Arlington), who authored the Senate version of the bill.

Under the bill, family members or close family friends can accept guardianship of a child who needs to be removed from their parent’s home as long as they have been screened. The agreement would need to be approved by both the child’s biological parent or parents and the caregiver. This agreement would be good for 90 days.

“After 90 days, an evaluation will take place,” Favola said. “Child Protective Services will have to convene a workgroup and speak with the parents, the caretaker and a whole range of professionals to determine what is in the best interest of the child.”