Gov. Glenn Youngkin launched the Safe Kids, Strong Families initiative, a bold effort to unify and advance Virginia’s child welfare reforms.
The initiative will fund a $1 million study to address systemic challenges such as child safety, permanency, workforce shortages and reducing congregate care. Funding will also ensure a clear roadmap for future reforms.
“The most amazing gift we have here in the Commonwealth are our children, because they are the ones who are going to build our future and realize our collective aspirations. Today, we launched our Safe Kids, Strong Families initiative to build on the progress our administration has achieved over the last three years on child welfare and to make sure every child in Virginia has the love and support they need to fulfill their God-given destiny. Thank you to Secretary Kelly and every hero who has stepped up to serve our collective mission-that every child in Virginia is safe and part of a strong family,” Youngkin said on May 15.
Safe Kids, Strong Families builds on the administration’s Safe and Sound Task Force, which tackled a crisis of displaced foster children sleeping in offices, to work to expand kinship care within Virginia’s foster system. The program boosted kinship placements from 13 percent in 2023 to 21.2 percent (1,024 children) in April 2025, with a goal of reaching 35 percent by the end of the Youngkin Administration.
The Parental Child Safety Placement Program, which was effective July 1, 2024, has enabled 661 children to stay with kin, with 43.98 percent reunifying with their parents.
Youngkin also signed HB 1777, SB 1406 and SB 801, to strengthen Virginia’s child welfare system by empowering foster youth and expanding access to critical services. Passed with unanimous bipartisan support, the bills ensure children 12 years old and older in foster care are informed about the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman (OCO) and codify eligibility for Children in Need of Services (CHINS) under the Children’s Services Act (CSA), reinforcing Virginia’s commitment to family preservation and child safety.
“Since Day One, Gov. and Mrs. Youngkin have shown their commitment to ensuring that every single child has the opportunity to thrive by making Virginia the best place to live, work and raise a family,” said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet V. Kelly. “By working together across the aisle and across agencies, Virginia can help children in foster care turn heartbreak into hope and transform adversity from childhood into an adulthood full of resilience.”
The Youngkin Administration has made significant strides through the Safe and Sound Task Force by addressing 90 percent of foster care entries linked to substance abuse and mental health via Right Help, Right Now and establishing a first-of-its-kind kinship system. Recent budget investments, including $7.4 million for Child Protective Services, $12.1 million annually for relative maintenance payments, and $1.5 million for foster care and adoption cost-of-living adjustments, underscore Virginia’s proactive approach to child welfare.
With Safe Kids, Strong Families, Virginia will continue the momentum, and ensure sustainable, family-focused solutions for generations to come.
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Rebecca Barnabi
