Released: Friday, February 02, 2018

ONE Voice for Liberties Conference

Sep. 27-28, 2018

Landmark Baptist Church, Richmond Va

Future dates: Sep. 26-27, 2019; Sep. 24-25, 2020; Sep. 23-24, 2021

 

VAIB| Virginia Voice

January 25, 2018

Dear Friend,

The General Assembly session is nearing the halfway point. I am pleased to report some harmful bills have already been put aside. Friday, January 19, was the last day for new legislation to be introduced. But there are still hundreds of bills to be assigned to committee. Therefore, committee meetings are getting longer. You can see some of these bills I have been covering on the web site at http://vaib.org/education/legislative-update/ .

Implementation of Fingerprint Background Checks

As a result of legislation passed in 2017, fingerprint background checks are being implemented in Virginia for child day centers not already doing these. A new problem has arisen related to who will be paying for these checks. VAIB strongly urges all church day cares not to accept (religious exempt day cares) state or federal money for anything! Current communications with the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) by Dan Zacharias (Executive Director of Old Dominion Association of Church Schools or ODACS) sounded an alarm.  To help offset this expense, DSS will pay for these checks using Federal Development Block Grant funds amounting to a federal subsidy. DSS has provided no method for anyone to pay for a background check until after September 30. Meanwhile, most religious exempt day cares must have these background checks done prior to September 30.

VAIB suggests that all religious exempt day cares wait to have your background checks done until DSS provides a way for payment to be made by our centers. I also suggest that if your church has a religious exempt day care, contact DSS requesting opportunity to pay for your fingerprint background checks and refusing to have these checks done until your center can pay for these checks. Disclaimer: VAIB is not providing legal advice, only making a suggestion as to this matter.

All day cares should have received a Fieldprint code to have your checks done. Keep this code as it is needed for making appointments to have fingerprint background checks done. Fortunately for us, DSS delayed implementation of these checks due to technical issues, so we may have more breathing room to address the matter.

I have also addressed the matter with Charlene Vincent of DSS and will continue to work with Dan Zacharias on this matter and report on any changes as soon as I have updated information.

Update on Carol Aliff

Carol wants to say thank you for the many calls and cards expressing your love and prayers. Some of you have personal experience with similar surgeries. We are thankful that surgery removed all of the tumor and Carol continues to improve. Physically, she has healed just fine. But she is frustrated with how quickly she tires and the side effects of medication for controlling her leg seizures. I appreciate the fact that she has been working in the VAIB office as she can.

Scheduling Meetings for 2018

My meeting schedule is filling, especially for the first half of the year. However, Joe Naylor still has openings for meetings. If you would like to have an update this year or have a question, please call the office.

Thank you!

I wish to express my thanks:

• for your prayers for Carol
• for your prayers for me at the General Assembly
• for churches which have supported faithfully for many years
• for churches which have recently begun supporting
• for churches which have given a “once-a-year” offering to support. If you or your church has not given, please consider giving today!

Your voice for Christian liberties,

Eddy Aliff

Executive Director 

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