A bill passed the General Assembly calling for a plan to reduce the number of children in foster care. House bill 718 passed the Senate unanimously after passing the House of Delegates almost as easily with a 91-3 vote.
RICHMOND - The governor and department of social services need to put their thinking caps on now that a bill calling for a plan to reduce the number of children in foster care has passed the General Assembly
House bill 718 passed the Senate unanimously after passing the House of Delegates almost as easily with a 91-3 vote.
“It would be doing what we’ve already been doing. Expanding it and enhancing it and continue to move those practices and philosophical changes along in Virginia,” said Raymond Ratke, special advisor for children’s services
This bill requires the governor, department of social services and other appropriate agencies to develop a plan that will decrease the number of children in foster care 25 percent by 2020.
“In February there were 6,024 kids in foster care in Virginia,” said Ratke, special advisor for children’s services. Ratke said the current number is down 20 percent from December 2007.
The department of social services has not had a system in place targeted specifically at reducing the number of children in foster care. The department has focused more on seeking better outcomes for families who are involved in the foster care system.
The plan, developed by the governor and department of social services, would build on these programs already in place to not only promote good outcomes, but reduce the number of those in the foster care system altogether.
“A big part of what the plan would include would be increasing the number of adoptions and decreasing the amount of time it takes to find adoptive parents,” said Ratke.
Ratke said that much of the success of this kind of plan would come from placing emphasis on family engagement and kinship.
“We need to do a better job of finding and locating blood relatives, and placing kids safely with blood relatives,” Ratke said.
“We don’t have a great track record of that so far,” he added. “About 5 percent are with blood relatives.”
Ratke said that many children in foster care could actually stay with their families if a support system were in place.
“Research says when you are able to do that, those kids have much better outcomes than those placed in foster care.”
By implementing these ideas and building on programs already in place, the department of social services can reach the goal set forth in the bill, Ratke said.
“It’s a large number but, again, we’ve reduced it already by 20 percent in the last two years, he said. “We feel like it’s very doable and reasonable.”
Ratke is encouraged to see the state take a stance on the foster care issue by passing this bill.
“It’s really nice to have a bill that says, ‘This is the goal: to have fewer kids in foster care.’”
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For more information and data from the department of social services, visit http://www.vafamilyconnections.org/
Showing posts with label government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label government. Show all posts
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
‘Pothole Blitz’ seeks to repair Virginia’s roads
RICHMOND – A gap in the state budget isn’t the only hole Virginia officials are trying to fill. They’re also trying to plug potholes that harsh winter weather has left on roads throughout the commonwealth.
This article was published on the Gainsville Times Web site: ‘Pothole Blitz’ seeks to repair Virginia’s roads
This article was published on the Gainsville Times Web site: ‘Pothole Blitz’ seeks to repair Virginia’s roads
Monday, February 22, 2010
Va. bill challenges mandated health care
RICHMOND — Weighing in on the debate over federal health care reform, state lawmakers have passed legislation declaring that no one can force Virginians to buy health insurance.
This article was published on the Suffolk News-Herald Web site: Va. bill challenges mandated health care
This article was published on the Suffolk News-Herald Web site: Va. bill challenges mandated health care
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Bill requires interlock for any DUI
RICHMOND - Anyone convicted of drunken driving would have to have an ignition interlock installed in his or her car under a bill approved by the House of Delegates.
This story was published on the WPCVA Web site: Bill requires interlock for any DUI
This story was published on the WPCVA Web site: Bill requires interlock for any DUI
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Legislators Get the Point – an H1N1 Shot
By Samantha Downing and Nicole Fisher
Richmond, VA. - With the swine flu pandemic still looming, the Virginia Department of Health is giving state legislators vaccinations to prevent the spread of the virus. Health officials are visiting the Capitol this week to administer free H1N1 vaccinations.
This article was published on the Local Kicks Web site: Legislators Get the Point – an H1N1 Shot
Richmond, VA. - With the swine flu pandemic still looming, the Virginia Department of Health is giving state legislators vaccinations to prevent the spread of the virus. Health officials are visiting the Capitol this week to administer free H1N1 vaccinations.
This article was published on the Local Kicks Web site: Legislators Get the Point – an H1N1 Shot
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Gov. McDonnell offers GOP reply to Obama
Jobs. Health care. Energy. Those were important topics in Gov. Bob McDonnell’s response to the State of the Union address by President Barack Obama on Wednesday night.
This article was published on the Connect Richmond Web site: Gov. McDonnell offers GOP reply to Obama
This article was published on the Connect Richmond Web site: Gov. McDonnell offers GOP reply to Obama
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Libertarian party for smaller government
By: Samantha Downing
Redpath and the Libertarian party say the government has too much power.
When it comes to election time, most voters choose sides between Republican and Democrat.
But some look elsewhere when preparing to cast their ballots.
“The greatest problem with our political system today is the special interest-driven two-party system that provides the American people with two big-government ‘solutions’ and asks them to choose between the two evils,” said Vladimir Rudenko, vice chairman of the organization Libertarians at VCU.
The chairman of the organization, Steven Latimer, agreed.
“America was founded on a tax revolt, and the Libertarian Party and its candidates are aware of this,” said Latimer.
William Redpath is Virginia’s Libertarian candidate for Senate.
The most important issue in his campaign is national security, without which, he says on his Web site, “The benefits of a free society and prosperity cannot be enjoyed.”
Redpath says the U.S. should adopt a non-interventionist foreign policy. He promotes withdrawing from Iraq and focusing on Al-Qaeda as the greatest security threat.
Regarding the economy, Redpath encourages a reduction in federal government spending.
“Stop the cheesy, half-baked, short-sighted federal responses to the current economic situation,” he says. “Implement long-term solutions now.”
Redpath and the Libertarian party support reducing federal income tax.
“It is time to end this confiscation of our earnings and get the government out of our pocketbooks,” says the party’s Web site.
Seniors should have control of their own Medicare benefits, says Redpath, and Medicaid should be financed by state and local governments rather than the federal government.
“Health care is not a right, because it requires the talents and resources of other people,” Redpath says. “The federal government is not empowered by the U.S. Constitution to provide health care.”
Redpath supports a health care system driven by consumers, not based on employers.
He says Americans should be allowed to make their own decisions regarding consensual crimes, and the individual states should address the issue of drug prohibition.
Born and raised in Ohio, Redpath worked for NBC and ABC in New York, and WISH-TV in Indianapolis before joining BIA Financial Network, Inc. – a Chantilly, Va., company that appraises media and telecommunications businesses.
The Libertarian Party was created in December 1971, and Redpath has been a member since 1984. He is currently the chairman of the Libertarian National Committee.
According to its Web site, the Libertarian Party seeks “a return to the basic principles that made America great,” with a smaller government than either Democrats or Republicans want.
“Government at all levels is too large, too expensive, woefully inefficient, arrogant, intrusive and downright dangerous.”
Rudenko said the government should be shrunk to “its original Constitutional boundaries.”
The Libertarian Party supports the idea of individual responsibility, which means that each person has “the right to control his or her own body, action, speech and property.”
The Libertarian Party says it is the only political party that respects people as individuals and wants the government to do the same.
Redpath formerly ran for the House of Delegates in 1993, for the state Senate in the special election in January 1998, and for governor in 2001 – where he won less than 1 percent of votes.
This election, as he runs for a seat in the U.S. Senate, Redpath’s motto is, “Anything that’s peaceful.”
Also running for Senate in Virginia are Republican Jim Gilmore and Democrat Mark Warner.
Redpath’s name does not often appear alongside his opponents’ in polls, but people like Latimer still support him.
“By voting Libertarian, I made my personal vote as powerful as possible.”
Rudenko said the reason he voted Libertarian is that our country is in trouble because our liberties are being taken away from us.
“Freedom is on the run, in short, and the tiny libertarian minority is trying to shout ‘come back and hold your ground.’ This is America, this is where freedom belongs.”
Redpath and the Libertarian party say the government has too much power.
When it comes to election time, most voters choose sides between Republican and Democrat.
But some look elsewhere when preparing to cast their ballots.
“The greatest problem with our political system today is the special interest-driven two-party system that provides the American people with two big-government ‘solutions’ and asks them to choose between the two evils,” said Vladimir Rudenko, vice chairman of the organization Libertarians at VCU.
The chairman of the organization, Steven Latimer, agreed.
“America was founded on a tax revolt, and the Libertarian Party and its candidates are aware of this,” said Latimer.
William Redpath is Virginia’s Libertarian candidate for Senate.
The most important issue in his campaign is national security, without which, he says on his Web site, “The benefits of a free society and prosperity cannot be enjoyed.”
Redpath says the U.S. should adopt a non-interventionist foreign policy. He promotes withdrawing from Iraq and focusing on Al-Qaeda as the greatest security threat.
Regarding the economy, Redpath encourages a reduction in federal government spending.
“Stop the cheesy, half-baked, short-sighted federal responses to the current economic situation,” he says. “Implement long-term solutions now.”
Redpath and the Libertarian party support reducing federal income tax.
“It is time to end this confiscation of our earnings and get the government out of our pocketbooks,” says the party’s Web site.
Seniors should have control of their own Medicare benefits, says Redpath, and Medicaid should be financed by state and local governments rather than the federal government.
“Health care is not a right, because it requires the talents and resources of other people,” Redpath says. “The federal government is not empowered by the U.S. Constitution to provide health care.”
Redpath supports a health care system driven by consumers, not based on employers.
He says Americans should be allowed to make their own decisions regarding consensual crimes, and the individual states should address the issue of drug prohibition.
Born and raised in Ohio, Redpath worked for NBC and ABC in New York, and WISH-TV in Indianapolis before joining BIA Financial Network, Inc. – a Chantilly, Va., company that appraises media and telecommunications businesses.
The Libertarian Party was created in December 1971, and Redpath has been a member since 1984. He is currently the chairman of the Libertarian National Committee.
According to its Web site, the Libertarian Party seeks “a return to the basic principles that made America great,” with a smaller government than either Democrats or Republicans want.
“Government at all levels is too large, too expensive, woefully inefficient, arrogant, intrusive and downright dangerous.”
Rudenko said the government should be shrunk to “its original Constitutional boundaries.”
The Libertarian Party supports the idea of individual responsibility, which means that each person has “the right to control his or her own body, action, speech and property.”
The Libertarian Party says it is the only political party that respects people as individuals and wants the government to do the same.
Redpath formerly ran for the House of Delegates in 1993, for the state Senate in the special election in January 1998, and for governor in 2001 – where he won less than 1 percent of votes.
This election, as he runs for a seat in the U.S. Senate, Redpath’s motto is, “Anything that’s peaceful.”
Also running for Senate in Virginia are Republican Jim Gilmore and Democrat Mark Warner.
Redpath’s name does not often appear alongside his opponents’ in polls, but people like Latimer still support him.
“By voting Libertarian, I made my personal vote as powerful as possible.”
Rudenko said the reason he voted Libertarian is that our country is in trouble because our liberties are being taken away from us.
“Freedom is on the run, in short, and the tiny libertarian minority is trying to shout ‘come back and hold your ground.’ This is America, this is where freedom belongs.”
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