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Recently, The Virginia Independent highlighted a challenge many ForKids families know all too well. When small raises or extra work hours actually make it harder, not easier, to get ahead.
The story featured Traci Haskins, a ForKids participant and single mom from Chesapeake. Traci is both a full-time student and a full-time employee, working hard to build a better future for herself and her 4-year-old daughter. Like many families, she relies on Virginia’s Child Care Subsidy Program to afford safe, consistent child care.
But when Traci took on a second, part-time job to cover rising costs, her child care co-pay jumped dramatically, more than tripling in a matter of months. The additional income did not help her get ahead. It pushed her further behind. Ultimately, she had to quit the second job just to keep child care affordable.
Traci’s experience is not unique. As our CEO Thaler McCormick shared in the article, ForKids surveyed members of our alumni board and found that every single one had turned down raises, extra hours, or new job opportunities because doing so would increase child care costs. It is a system that unintentionally penalizes parents for trying to improve their circumstances.
That is why ForKids does not just support families one by one. We also work for change.
Advocating for Common-Sense Solutions
ForKids is actively engaged at the local, regional, and state level, advocating for practical, common-sense policies that help families move forward instead of holding them back. From child care affordability to housing stability and economic mobility, we work alongside partners and policymakers to push for systems that truly support working families.
“ForKids worked with Delegate Glass and Senator Locke this year to introduce SB20/ HB254 legislation establishing a phased reduction model for Virginia’s Child Care Subsidy Program,” said Bjorn Koxvold, ForKids’ Government Relations Manager. “Under this approach, families would not experience an abrupt loss of assistance when their income increases. Instead, benefits would taper gradually and proportionally to earnings growth—addressing the “benefits cliff” and supporting continued workforce participation.”
While the House companion bill (HB254) was laid on the table in Appropriations, SB20 has passed the Senate and is now before the House for consideration.
Please contact your Delegate and urge them to support SB20. No parent should face a benefits cliff when accepting a raise, increasing hours, or pursuing economic mobility.
Learn more about how ForKids is advocating for change and how you can support this work at:
forkids.org/advocacy.