SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2022 SESSION

22106653D
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 57
Offered February 25, 2022
Commending Bright Center.
----------
Patrons-- Mundon King, Jenkins and Reid
----------

WHEREAS, Bright Center, a nonprofit organization based in Northern Virginia, has served as a lifeline to families with children who have special needs through its various programs and services; and

WHEREAS, Bright Center opened its doors in Manassas in 2016 with a mission to provide person-centered care to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, encouraging them to become more engaged with their communities and to achieve greater levels of independence throughout their lives; and

WHEREAS, Bright Center aids families by enabling parents to maintain employment while navigating them through a complex medical system where even basic services like daycare can be difficult to access or afford; and

WHEREAS, by improving the availability of quality care, Bright Center produces better health outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and enhances the quality of life of the families it serves; and

WHEREAS, Bright Center acts as a resource for the whole family unit, as its positive and productive programs allow family members to have peace of mind that their children are safe while they are busy working, aiding other family members, or caring for themselves; and

WHEREAS, Bright Center’s two main programs include its Community Day Program, which facilitates the transition of special education students ages 22 and older to life beyond school, and its Skilled Childcare Center, an afterschool program serving special education students ages five through 17, while its summer camps support special needs youth during the months when school is not in session; and

WHEREAS, Bright Center’s programs are specially designed to increase socialization, facilitate behavior management, provide health care monitoring and medication management, and cultivate wellness through music therapy, therapeutic exercise, care management, and other activities; and

WHEREAS, in the absence of programs like those offered by Bright Center, family members would be required to make the difficult choice of either hiring a private, in-home caregiver at great expense or quitting their jobs to care for their medically complex child; and

WHEREAS, by filing a gap in care for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents, Bright Center has played an invaluable role in the lives of the families it serves and made Northern Virginia a more welcoming and inclusive place for all; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Bright Center hereby be commended for its efforts to help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families lead more successful and satisfying lives; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Bright Center as an expression of the House of Delegates’ admiration for the organization’s contributions to the Commonwealth.