Children
- Governor Spanberger Visits Students & Teachers in Henrico, Discusses Focus on Continuing to Strengthen Virginia Schools
HENRICO, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today visited Glen Lea Elementary School in Henrico County to meet with students and educators
- The amendment that could permanently protect killing babies in Virginia
- Governor Spanberger Announces School Accountability Results, More Than $26 Million in New Investments for Schools
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today announced the 2026 School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF) results, providing
- Vindman faces crowded field and economic pressures in Virginia’s 7th District Congressional race
Pictured from left are candidates for the seventh congressional district race in Virginia: U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Woodbridge, Republican Douglas Ollivant and Libertarian Taner Lopez.
- W&M researcher leads study on students’ literacy outcomes under Virginia Literacy Act
Elizabeth Talbott has been awarded a research grant to conduct a longitudinal study of the Virginia Literacy Act.
- Youth advocates warn higher marijuana fine could deepen racial disparities
Virginia lawmakers are weighing how increased penalties for public marijuana consumption could affect young people as the state prepares to launch legal retail sales in July 2027.
- Luria and Kiggans rematch in Va.’s 2nd Congressional District among most-watched races in nation
From left to right: U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, Democrat Elaine Luria, and independents Bishop Staten and Matt Baker.
- Virginia receives $7.2 million grant to expand childcare in Southwest, Southside Virginia
A supporter for early childhood and child care access wears a "gotta have child care" pin in Richmond on Jan. 21, 2026.
- Norfolk Public Schools Maps Rezoning as Four Elementary Campuses Prepare to Close
Norfolk is briefing families on fall 2027 rezoning for Granby, Lindenwood, P.B. Young, and Tarrallton elementaries, with bus routes still unsettled as consolidations proceed.
- Divorce becomes next battleground as Virginia, other states debate family values
Former Virginia Lt.
- Loudoun Schools Prepare Artificial Intelligence Classroom Pilot as Device Costs Surge Past 70 Percent
Board members split over Gemini Notebook trials at seven middle and high schools while Chromebook and staff laptop prices jump on chip shortages.
- Spanberger taps Daniel Young to lead government watchdog office
Daniel Young, a former federal prosecutor, has been appointed Virginia’s next state inspector general by Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
- As student well-being concerns grow, Va. advocates push for stricter school tech guidelines
Virginia parents and educators are urging leaders, including the Board of Education, to reduce excessive classroom screen time by considering a draft policy that prioritizes distraction-free learning, physical books, writing, and face-to-face interaction.
- Cumberland county residents split on proposed gas plant, slated to be second largest in the nation
Cumberland County residents meet Aug. 31, 2026 to discuss the proposed Dominion Cumberland Energy Center.
- With six West Nile cases reported statewide, infected mosquitos are on the rise in Virginia Beach
A female Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito on the skin of a human host.
- Virginia to receive $353 million in landmark Meta child-safety settlement
Facebook parent company Meta has agreed to pay Virginia at least $353 million and adopt new safeguards for young users under a proposed multistate settlement over allegations that its platforms harmed children.
- Loudoun School Board Receives Plea on Power Lines Near Campuses
During a public comment period at the Loudoun County School Board meeting the presentation addressed high-voltage power lines planned near school properties.
- King George school board settles suit, will allow middle school LGBTQ+ student club
(Illustration by mustafahacalaki/Getty Images) King George County Schools will now allow sixth- to eighth-grade students to form non-curricular clubs, including one supporting LGBTQ+ students, after the school board settled with the families of two students who said the school did not allow them to form the LGBTQ+ club previously, according to a Monday announcement.
- Virginia health committee considers mandating licensed nurses in every school
A newly proposed legislative measure would require all school districts in Virginia to employ a licensed nurse in every school.
- The School Choice Programs have SAVED taxpayers up to $45 billion
Democrat legislators use fear tactics to claim that school choice would bankrupt their state.
- Fairfax County Weighs Childcare Access Against Neighborhood Noise Concerns
Fairfax County officials examine how to support home-based childcare while addressing resident complaints about noise and administrative requirements.
- Survey Finds Majority of Virginia Families With Children Face Food Insecurity
State-commissioned poll fills gap left by ended USDA hunger survey; food banks report rising demand and thinner donations.
- Jason Ballard House Bill 103 Seeks to Extend Vital Early Intervention Services for Virginia Infants and Toddlers
A bill introduced by Delegate Jason Ballard would extend Virginia’s Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers for children with disabilities.
- Alexandria Schools Race Toward September 30 Decisions on Hazardous Walk Zones and Bus Routes
ACPS and City Hall are reviewing parent hazard claims at key Alexandria intersections before a Sept. 30 ParentSquare deadline on walk-zone bus exceptions amid driver shortages.
- Virginia Beach schools, Civil Rights Office reach agreement over sexual misconduct investigations
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building pictured on Nov. 25, 2024.
- The battle over data centers isn’t just about data centers, but they’re the battleground we have.
Marvell data center in Culpeper County, Virginia.
- Higher Standards of Learning Cut Scores Coming, but Not This Year, Virginia Board Says
Virginia Board of Education Members listening to Superintendent Emily Anne Gullickson at the board’s business meeting on Nov. 13, 2025.
- Peter Francisco, the ‘Hercules of American independence’
The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
- Virginia Panel Advances Plan for a Licensed Nurse in Every School by 2028
School Health Services Committee backs a nurse-per-building or per-325-students rule with two-year hiring waivers; November 18 vote would send the proposal to the 2027 General Assembly.
- Abigail Spanberger Urges Congress to Police Artificial Intelligence Risks to Privacy, Jobs, and Resources
The governor’s September 22 letter to House and Senate leaders seeks federal guardrails as Virginia advances Executive Order 22 and data-center accountability rules.
- Attorney General Announces 353 Million for Virginia in Meta Child Safety Settlement
The multistate deal requires Instagram and Facebook time limits, nighttime blocks and stronger age checks pending federal court approval.
- Loudoun Neighbors Push to Demolish Lowes Island Arson Remains Before Anniversary
Algonkian Supervisor Juli Briskman says county demolition could finish in early October if the private owner does not act first.
- Elizabeth Guzman House Bill 417 Expands In-State Tuition for Military Families
The Virginia House of Delegates has taken a decisive step to honor the sacrifices of active-duty service members and veterans by overwhelmingly passing House Bill 417.
- Valley Link Transmission Line Threatens Generational Farm in Orange County
Michael Carter Jr.
- Lynchburg Expands Child Protective Services with Kinship Care and Substance Use Experts
Five new positions in Lynchburg’s human services department aim to keep children out of the foster care system and provide more support to families already in it.
- Virginia General Assembly Passes House Bill 191 to Protect Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking
RICHMOND, Va.
- As sports betting surges, Virginia weighs how to curb gambling harms
State Sen. Mike Jones, D-Richmond, left, and Dr.
- Amy Laufer House Bill 85 on Postsecondary Transition Counselors Deferred to 2027
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia House Committee on Education has continued House Bill 85 to the 2027 legislative session, signaling a cautious approach to expanding specialized certification programs for educators supporting students with disabilities in postsecondary transitions.
- Public Comment at Loudoun School Board Raises Alarms Over Child Safety Incident
The meeting occurred in Loudoun County, Virginia, under the oversight of the Loudoun County School Board. The board consists of nine members: Chair April Chandler, Vice Chair Anne Donahue, and representatives from the county’s magisterial districts including recent additions sworn in January 2026.
- Spotsylvania County School Board Maintains Stance Against Drug Testing Requirement
The Spotsylvania County School Board held a vote on a proposal to mandate drug testing for teachers and school staff who work directly with children. The board ultimately decided against adopting the requirement during this session. This marks the second occasion in which the measure failed to gain approval. Lorita Daniels changed her vote from […]
- Hemp businesses ask federal judge to block Virginia’s new THC cap
Seven Virginia hemp businesses are asking a federal judge to block new restrictions on consumable hemp products, arguing the changes will wipe out much of their inventory, trigger layoffs and force some companies to close when they take effect on Aug. 15. The lawsuit, filed July 31 in the U.S. District Court for the Western […]
- Virginia’s vaccine recommendations, requirements won’t change after Trump order, officials say
After President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday to alter childhood vaccine guidance, Virginia’s Department of Health on Tuesday reaffirmed the state’s requirements and recommendations for all children to be vaccinated. VDH Commissioner Dr. Cameron Webb said that Virginia families should trust the state’s decisions to be “grounded in the best available science.” “The […]
- Rural Virginia has been kind to the GOP, yet Trump’s GOP allows rural healthcare to suffer
It would be easy to blame Republicans — especially the present White House occupant — for the steady atrophying of healthcare that’s readily accessible to Virginians in rural areas. You wouldn’t be wrong. You wouldn’t be totally right either. Policies put in place during President Donald Trump’s second term contribute substantially to the declining availability […]
- Commonwealth Attorney Seeks Reform After Bat Return Blocked
A Commonwealth Attorney spoke before a legislative body about difficulties in returning a stolen baseball bat to its child owner. Court proceedings led to the item being classified as forfeited under existing statutes. The attorney outlined the sequence of events that resulted in the bat remaining unavailable to the victim. The situation arose when the […]
- More states ban child marriage, including Virginia, though it’s still legal in most of the United States
After authorities rescued 16 children last month who had been confined to a single room in a home in rural Ohio, attention turned to their mother, who had been 15 and pregnant when she married their father. The child endangerment case has recharged a national conversation around child marriage, which is defined by the United […]
- Virginia school board to appeal federal court order to remove Confederate school names
After more than two hours in the second of two closed sessions, the Shenandoah County School Board voted unanimously 6-0 Thursday night to appeal a federal court’s order for the district to remove Confederate names from schools in the county. It may cost millions in taxpayer dollars to contest the decision. Judge: Shenandoah School Board […]
- Hampton Roads tenants describe landlord’s abuse, retaliation after landmark fair housing settlement
A new settlement with Hampton Roads landlord David Merryman — who is currently serving a 17-year sentence for defrauding the federal government — means several of his former tenants will receive a piece of $2.5 million in financial compensation over the next year. Merryman must sell his Virginia properties, numbering over 60, and can never […]
- Black lung cases surging again in Southwest Virginia, Appalachia; miners blame blocked regulations
With new research showing that black lung disease among Appalachian coal miners has reached an almost 50-year high, advocates are demanding federal regulations be enforced. The data published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine is also part of a peer-reviewed research letter from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health […]
- Virginia Taxpayers Saddled with $137.6 Million Bill as State Absorbs Pandemic-Era Childcare Program
Virginia taxpayers are now facing a permanent financial burden as lawmakers recently approved a massive allocation of state funds to prop up a pandemic-era childcare program. The state budget includes a staggering allocation of $137.6 million for the Child Care Subsidy Program, which is managed jointly by the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia […]
- Study Finds Children Absorb More Radiation from Cell Towers Than Adults
A 2023 study has examined the differences in radiation absorption from cell towers between children and adults. The findings indicate that children absorb ten times more radiation than adults under the same exposure conditions. This result is attributed to smaller head sizes and thinner skulls in younger individuals. The research presents graphs comparing specific absorption […]