Author
Despite success, Va. public-private program for early childhood care still far from meeting need
Although almost 157,000 infants and toddlers in Virginia were eligible for publicly funded early childhood care and education services last year, data from the Virginia Department of Education shows over 90% lacked access to them. The same goes for more than half of the state’s approximately 128,000 eligible preschool-age children. In an effort to fill […]
Over 60,000 Virginians used Easy Enrollment in medical assistance program’s first year
Thousands of Virginians recently checked a box on their state tax return indicating they were uninsured and wanted to know if they were eligible for medical assistance programs like Medicaid. Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services spokesperson Rebecca Dooley said in an email that last year the agency received 63,982 requests for contact as part […]
Va. attorney general says transgender student policies comply with anti-discrimination laws
In response to a request by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Attorney General Jason Miyares released an official advisory opinion today concluding the state’s model policies concerning the treatment of transgender students comply with federal and state anti-discrimination laws and reiterating the administration’s stance that school boards must adopt policies in line with them. “It is my […]
As Va. school districts split on transgender policies, state enforcement tools appear limited
Last week, Spotsylvania County Public Schools became Virginia’s first school district to adopt controversial state-crafted model policies for the treatment of transgender and non-binary students. The 4-2-1 decision of the Spotsylvania School Board, made during a chaotic Aug. 14 meeting, was followed by Roanoke County’s adoption of the policies in a similarly heated environment that […]
AI weapons detection startups compete with industry giant in expanding Va. school market
Demand from Virginia school divisions for better building security is on the rise following increases in school shootings over the past several years, including a high-profile case at a Newport News elementary in January. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, Virginia had 13 school shootings in 2022, the most on record for the state. […]
More patients in crisis falling through cracks of state psychiatric commitment system
In the language of state agencies, it’s “loss of custody.” In the vernacular of medical staff, it’s being “street-ed.” Both refer to when an emergency medical department is unable to stop a patient deemed a threat to themselves or others from leaving the facility before receiving proper treatment. Whatever you call it, in Virginia, it’s […]
After legislative limbo, $6M in federal funding for Virginia farmers and food banks released
After months of delay, Virginia on Thursday released over $6 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture funds to procure food products from local farmers to distribute to food-insecure populations. The root cause of the slowdown in fund disbursement is unclear, as other states began using grant funds as early as March, but one contributing factor […]
Virginia considers private prison contract renewal despite $4.3 million in breaches
As Virginia weighs whether to renew its contract with GEO Group to run the Lawrenceville Correctional Center, the state’s only privately operated prison, records show persistent staffing shortages at the facility have cost the company $4.3 million since August 2018. Under GEO’s current contract, which ends July 31, the Virginia Department of Corrections can dock […]