The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.
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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Dec. 12, 2024:
Lawmakers call for elimination of subsidized child care waitlist
Reported by VPM News’ Megan Pauly
A group of Virginia lawmakers, business leaders and nonprofits is calling for increased state funding to eliminate a waitlist that currently includes thousands of families seeking subsidized child care in the state.
According to a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Education, as of Dec. 1, nearly 13,000 children were on waitlists for two programs that provide full-day, full-year child care at significantly reduced rates, depending on the family’s income; roughly 3,000 of them have joined the waitlist since September.
The long waitlists have also kept child care providers looking to open new child development centers in limbo, unsure whether they’ll be able to offer subsidized slots.
The “Gotta Have Childcare” campaign estimates it would cost about $160 million to provide 12,000 additional subsidized child care slots.
Chesterfield School Board OKs new trans student policies
Reported by VPM News’ Billy Shields
The Chesterfield County School Board voted 3–2 Wednesday morning to approve new policies for trans students that some say roll back protections put into place during the administration of former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam.
The policies, which aim to strengthen “parental rights,” include requirements that parents be notified if a student asks to be called a name different from what’s on their birth certificate, use a bathroom that doesn’t correspond with their gender assigned at birth or identify with new pronouns.
More than 130 residents signed up to speak on either side of the issue during the four-hour public commenting period. Christina Mejia, a middle school counselor in Chesterfield, warned that required parental notifications will create dangerous situations for transgender students.
“Not everyone goes home to a safe home,” she said.
In other news:
- For now, ‘dreamers’ will be shut out of the health care marketplace in Virginia (The Associated Press)
- Judge dismisses lawsuit alleging UVA slow-walked sexual assault investigation (The Daily Progress)*
- Next piece of Chesterfield’s Springline development will be new $80M mixed-used building (Richmond BizSense)*
In case you missed it:
- They gave envelopes of cash. A sheriff made them ‘auxiliary’ deputies, feds say. (The Washington Post)*
- Virginia Union University to remain on probation as financial problems continue (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*
- Developer plans $3B data center in Appomattox County (Virginia Business)*
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.
