Developed through months of intensive analysis and collaboration, the Safe Kids, Strong Families roadmap sets Virginia’s long-term vision for child protection and family stability.

Youth leaders Melvin Roy and Lacey Radford, who shared their experiences in Virginia’s foster care system at the event, emphasized the urgency of this work. Their stories highlighted the need for a well-supported child welfare workforce to improve outcomes, safety, and permanency for youth.

“This announcement represents the culmination of years of work to strengthen child welfare in Virginia,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “This roadmap builds on the progress we’ve made and sets a clear direction for a system designed to protect children and support families for generations. It reflects the Commonwealth’s enduring commitment to every child’s well-being and future.”

At the event, the Governor announced several Year One budget proposals, including creation of a centralized statewide Child Protective Services (CPS) intake system, enhanced CPS oversight and monitoring, salary increases for family services specialists, priority response for children under age three, and strengthened oversight authority for local departments of social services. These investments total $50 million.

Secretary Janet V. Kelly, an adoptive parent and long-time advocate for children and families, emphasized the personal significance of this initiative.

“Every child deserves a chance to grow up safe and loved, and this roadmap moves Virginia closer to that vision,” said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet V. Kelly. “It is built on the courage of families and youth who shared their stories and on the dedication of a workforce that continues to stand with our children.”

Senator Emily Jordan highlighted the bipartisan foundation of the reforms.

“We are united in our responsibility to protect Virginia’s children,” said Senator Emily Jordan. “This roadmap gives our Commonwealth the clarity and direction needed to strengthen child welfare for years to come. It will help us bring greater stability to families and ensure that children who have already endured too much receive the support they deserve.”

Progress and Findings 

Since 2022, Virginia has launched multiple initiatives to strengthen child safety and permanency, including the Safe and Sound Task Force, Kin First Now, foster care and kinship reforms, and the Parental Child Safety Placement Program. Kinship placements have increased from 13% in 2023 to 22% in November 2025, representing nearly 1,400 children now placed with relatives.

The final report outlines the most urgent challenges facing the system, including workforce shortages, inconsistent intake and screening, overreliance on congregate care, and limited access to preventive and behavioral health services. Key data includes vacancy rates of 20% to 23%, turnover above 40% for early-tenure case workers, more than 93,000 reports of abuse or neglect in FY 2023, and 12% of foster youth in congregate care settings.

To address these challenges, the roadmap identifies six pillars of reform: strengthening the workforce, improving CPS, increasing permanency, aligning behavioral health and child welfare, expanding prevention and family preservation, and modernizing oversight and data systems.

A Roadmap for the Future

Yesterday’s announcement reflects the culmination of four years of focused work to improve safety and outcomes for children. The Safe Kids, Strong Families roadmap offers a clear path for the next administration, the General Assembly, and local partners to build a safer and more equitable system.

“Our commitment signals that the Commonwealth will continue to protect children long after this administration ends,” Governor Youngkin continued. “We are leaving behind a plan grounded in data, compassion, and the belief that every child deserves a permanent family and a safe home.”

Governor’s Introduced Budget includes a historic investment of $50 million over the biennium for the following major Safe Kids, Strong Families initiatives: 

• Boosts Salaries for Family Services Workers: Commits nearly $10 million in general funds over the biennium to raise the minimum salary for local family services specialists to $55,000 annually, addressing high vacancies and turnover to improve recruitment, retention, and service delivery for vulnerable children and adults.
• Expands Priority Response for Young Children: Allocates $424,000 over the biennium to fund overtime for child protective services workers, ensuring immediate (within 24 hours) response to abuse and neglect reports for children ages 0–3—the age group at highest risk of maltreatment and fatalities (81% of FY 2024 child fatalities involved children under three (3) years of age).
• Establishes Centralized Child Abuse and Neglect Intake System: Invests $32.7 million and 132 positions over the biennium to create a state-level, 24/7 centralized hotline for reporting child abuse and neglect, triaging reports and distributing them to local departments for investigation; no local matching funds required.
• Funds State Oversight of Local Departments: Provides $6.7 million in general funds to fund 26 positions over the biennium to empower the Social Services Commissioner with authority to issue corrective action plans to better protect children and families.

For more information, visit www.HHR.Virginia.gov/Safe-Kids-Strong-Families.