ROANOKE, Va. – Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin stopped in Salem to sign new legislation to support Virginians with developmental disabilities and their families on Tuesday.
Youngkin said he’s recently expanded waiver access to more families.
Waivers pay for support in the home for someone with a disability, giving them access to everything from a job coach to a personal care attendant.
The Arc of Virginia supports families through the process and said they’re excited to see progress.
“This is about meeting promises and keeping promises from years ago,” Tonya Milling, executive director for The Arc of Virginia, said. “People will have more independence, more control over their own lives, getting the services and supports that they need.”
It’s a part of Youngkin’s ‘Right Help, Right Now’ program, a three-year effort to fix Virginia’s behavioral health system.
Youngkin also signed a bill that would allow remote participation in public meetings and voting for people with special needs and their caregivers.
“We have a lot of more work to do, but it’s a very important day for us to acknowledge where we are, which is so much further than where we’ve been,” Youngkin said.