Charleston, W.Va. (WVDN) – The Legislative Action Team for Children and Families (LAT), which includes over 20 of the state’s leading organizations working with children and families, has announced its shared 2025 Policy Priorities — a comprehensive policy agenda designed to strengthen families, build caring communities, and help every child in West Virginia thrive. Guided by the core belief that “a strong West Virginia starts with strong families,” the LAT’s policy priorities take a dual approach: advancing proactive policies that strengthen families while standing firm to oppose harmful bills that make life harder for children and families.
Proactive priorities include expanding affordable, quality childcare, improving infant and maternal health, protecting children from violence, and strengthening public schools. Policies the LAT opposes include restricting access to healthcare with cuts to Medicaid or CHIP, making it harder to put food on the table with restrictions on SNAP or TANF, and weakening safeguards and protections for children’s safety and health. The LAT also affirms its opposition to discrimination in all its forms to protect the dignity and opportunity of every West Virginian.
A new addition to the LAT’s advocacy for 2025 is the designation of key legislative votes that directly impact children’s health, safety, and well-being as Kids Vote Alerts. These alerts will be communicated to lawmakers and grassroots partners—reinforcing transparency and accountability in the policy process by providing timely, expert-backed insights on critical votes affecting children and families throughout the state.
“Every vote a lawmaker casts shows whether they truly stand with West Virginia’s children and families. Kids Vote Alerts will cut through the noise, making it clear who’s fighting for them — and who’s not,” said Jim McKay, State Director of Prevent Child Abuse WV and Chair of the Legislative Action Team for Children and Families. “These decisions aren’t just politics. They shape whether the next generation grows up healthy, safe, and with real opportunities to thrive.”
The LAT 2025 Policy Priorities and Kids Vote Alerts will be posted on strongwvfamilies.org, an online hub designed to help community members, advocates, and policymakers stay informed and engaged about legislation impacting children and families in West Virginia.
Founded in 2005, the Legislative Action Team includes over 20 of the state’s leading organizations working for children and families. The Legislative Action Team works with parents, families, advocates, and organizations throughout the state to advance family-friendly public policy by mobilizing support for issues that improve the lives of children in West Virginia.
