HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — In a ceremonial bill signing held in Hanover County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) signed two bipartisan bills aimed at helping Virginia’s kids avoid foster care. 

The bills create the Parental Child Safety Placement Program, allowing local Departments of Social Services to facilitate an agreement between a child’s biological parents and a relative so that relative may take care of the child to avoid putting them in foster care. 

“Our kinship care bill allows for an option for relatives or fictive kin to accept the guardianship of a child who may be at risk because his or her family is going through a crisis,” said Sen. Barara Favola (D-Arlington), who wrote the Senate version of the bill.

The way it works is, if a child needs to be removed from their parent’s home, family members or close family friends can accept guardianship of the child after being properly screened. The agreement would need to be approved by both the child’s biological parent or parents and the caregiver. This agreement would be good for 90 days. 

“After 90 days, an evaluation will take place,” Favola said. “Child Protective Services will have to convene a workgroup and speak with the parents, the caretaker and a whole range of professionals to determine what is in the best interest of the child.”

Favola added that the bills will also allow kinship caregivers to access financial aid and other support services to ensure that children are well taken care of.