- 2012 Legislative Session, the week in review (1/27/12): Read more about the budget amendments we are tracking (including those related to children's mental health), as well as the bills that have our attention. To see a chart of all the budget amendments that Voices for Virginia’s Children is following, including other children’s mental health issues, please click here. For a chart of the bills we are tracking, please click here.
- General Assembly: Budget update: This week we can give you the specifics of legislative amendments to the Governor's budget that affect children's mental health. Our Campaign for Children's Mental Health has two big priorities this session: Child Psychiatry Demonstration Projects and Crisis Response Demonstration Projects. Read more about the specific budget amendments for these items that the General Assembly is considering.
- New: Virginia Child Poverty Report. Click here to read surprising and troubling news about where in the Commonwealth child poverty hits the hardest, and the increasing number of Virginia children who have slipped into poverty since the recession began. Learn why it matters and how lawmakers can help. Does your locality fall on the list with the highest child poverty rates? Find out. Click here for the full report.
- Voices is looking to add to our staff! We are seeking a Policy Analyst specializing in Early Childhood and School Readiness issues. Please see our position description here.
- Voices has released our 2012 Legislative Agenda! You can find it here. We're focusing strongly on children's mental health issues this year, in support of our Campaign for Children's Mental Health (which you can find at www.1in5kids.org).
- We believe independent clinical assessments for children needing certain Medicaid mental health services are a step in the right direction. Read the op-ed that appeared in the Richmond Times Dispatch on Saturday, October 15, co-authored by Voices’ Senior Policy Director, Margaret Nimmo Crowe and Mira Signer, Executive Director of NAMI Virginia.
- Extremely low reimbursement rate for child care providers mean fewer providers who are able to serve children with child care subsidies. Voices' one page brief explores the impact in Northern Virginia.
- New data recently released by the Census Bureau show that child poverty in Virginia continued to worsen in 2010. Since the start of the recession, the number of children growing up in poverty has increased by nearly 30,000, raising the total number to more than 260,000. Voices has created child poverty briefs for each congressional district and will disseminate the information to each congressman to ensure that all are fully aware of the adverse and still-growing impact of the recession on children in their district.
- Investing in early childhood is a proven strategy for increasing school readiness, closing achievement gaps and developing an educated, competitive future workforce. Voices’ new report, Building Our Future: The State of Virginia’s Early Childhood System, explains the challenges and identifies opportunities to strengthen programs that prepare young children to succeed in school. For highlights and a quick review of the report, please see the executive summary.
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