Our Home Visiting Advocacy Update for Mid-September

In the last few weeks we've made progress on our advocacy efforts that include short and long-term funding goals and strategies. As such, you will see a shift in how we discuss these efforts going forward. Please be sure to review the August 14th update for specifics on the current financial situation regarding TANF.

Update:

Home Visiting Advocacy Plan:

• Funding inclusion in the Governor’s Budget

• Budget Amendments in the 2024 General Assembly

• Legislative actions to include Home Visiting in VA code

This strategy allows us to pursue full and adequate state funding for the entirety of home visiting in the state, using multiple strategies to meet our short and long term needs.

Requested Actions:

Continue discussing the value of home visiting to the community as a whole with local decision makers and report the discussions you have with current legislators and candidates.

Share any additional meeting or event opportunities where we can continue to spread awareness about home visiting to our current and potential organizational partners.

Shift to using the terms Home Visiting Advocacy Plan, vs TANF cliff. That may have been a prompt for some of our actions, however, the needs and work we are doing go far beyond addressing that funding issue.

New Tools and Resources:

Encounter Reporting Tool - this tool helps us track the discussions you are having with legislators and candidates. This information helps to inform our talking points and meeting plans as we move forward with the strategy.

Coalition Meeting/Event Form - this tool helps to inform us of meetings and events in the community that we may want to participate in, or send information to help spread awareness of home visiting and our advocacy plans.

A Lot of Hurry Up and Wait:

We understand that we are all very passionate about this work and wanting to secure the funding immediately, unfortunately this is a long process full of hurry up and wait. There will be some periods of what seem like no action or change, but please know the home visiting advocacy team is working through the plan, and you will see much more “action” in the weeks and months ahead. We appreciate your patience and your dedication to this work.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call or email Nichole Wescott, Advocacy Coordinator, at advcoord@familiesforwardva.org or 804.337.0039.