The Washington County Board of Supervisors will consider two resolutions and a funding request Tuesday night in support of the opening of an Isaiah 117 House, which helps children who are awaiting foster care placement.
The house, which is currently under construction between Bristol and Abingdon, is a joint project that will also serve children in Smyth County and Bristol.
Many of the children are removed from their homes due to opioid misuse by a parent or parents. Too often, they wind up waiting for hours and even days in a social services department office before being placed, according to Savanah Harrison, location leader for the house.
“These children will be welcomed into a home where they receive emotional support, basic necessities, and dignity during a difficult transition. Our goal is to reduce the trauma associated with the initial stages of foster care and provide a more compassionate beginning for these vulnerable children while also supporting our Departments of Social Services and foster families,” Harrison wrote in a letter to the board of supervisors.
Harrison, who will be director of the house, said Monday that construction is nearing completion and it’s expected to open in a couple of months.
Across Virginia, almost 35% of children entering foster care have been directly or indirectly impacted by opioid misuse, but that number “skyrockets” to at least 85% in the area that will be served by the project, Harrison said.
A total of $300,000 is being sought for the project. Washington County, which is acting as the fiscal agent, will apply for a $195,000 grant in fiscal year 2027 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority. The authority distributes opioid settlement funds to support programs that treat, prevent and reduce opioid use disorder across the state.
Smyth County is contributing matching funding of $40,000 toward the project, the city of Bristol is providing $25,000 and Washington County is being asked to contribute $40,000. The local money is coming from the direct funding that localities receive in opioid abatement money.
The board is also being asked to approve a resolution supporting the grant application and another that would set up a cooperative agreement between the localities involved in the project, if the grant is approved.
The first Isaiah House was built in 2018 in Carter County, Tennessee, and there are currently 66 projects in 13 states, including 39 that are operating and 27 under construction, according to Harrison.
Here’s the agenda for the meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the auditorium of the county government building at 1 Government Center Place in Abingdon.