Quick Facts: Virginia
Performance Breakdown
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Law & Policy: 63% of metrics met
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Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness: 50% of metrics met
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Preventing youth experiencing homelessness from coming into contact with the criminal and juvenile justice systems: 71% of metrics met
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Providing unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness the opportunity to seek legal independence and live independently: 75% of metrics met
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Addressing the educational needs of youth experiencing homelessness: 33% of metrics met
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Allowing youth experiencing homelessness to access critical supports and services: 67% of metrics met
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Systems: 22% of metrics met
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Environment: 18% of metrics met
State Score 2022: 48
State Ranking 2022: 39
2022 Score
2021 Score
48
48
Virginia Highlights
Virginia has moved the needle relative to other states in providing unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness the opportunity to seek legal independence and live independently.
Law & Policy
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The state allows youth in foster care to access extended foster care services to age 21 under some circumstances and allows eligible youth who have exited the foster care system after 18 to re-enter care until age 21.
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State law does not specifically criminalize running away.
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State law provides youth experiencing homelessness some contract rights.
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The state allows shelters to take in homeless youth with a delay or waiver of notification requirements.
Systems
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The state provides tuition waivers for foster youth.
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There is a state interagency council on homelessness.
Environment
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Conversion therapy for minors on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression is banned.
Recommendations for Improvement
There is room for improvement throughout the metrics for the Old Dominion State, with emphasis on the Law & Policy and Environment categories. Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness and protecting the rights and interests of youth experiencing homelessness, including LGBTQ youth, should be prioritized.
Law & Policy
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The state should explicitly allow partial and alternative school credit accrual for homeless youth through regulations.
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The state should explicitly allow unaccompanied youth under 18 to apply for health insurance coverage without parental consent.
Systems
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The state should create and adopt a public plan to end homelessness that includes youth (and specifically LGBTQ+ youth).
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Create a state entity – such as an Office of Homeless Youth Services – that focuses solely on designing, implementing, and evaluating youth homelessness programs.
Environment
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The state should establish and maintain stipends for a community advisory board that informs youth homelessness policy (Youth Action Board).
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The state should require training about sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, healthy sexual development or issues specific to LGBTQ+ youth for staff working in RHY Systems.
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The state should establish nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ youth in youth homelessness services.