A group of parents in northern Virginia are calling for $2 million to fund after-school programs following the suspected fentanyl overdose deaths of at least two children .
Roughly 200 people gathered at a meeting in Arlington, Virginia, to call on county leaders to find the money for the new budget, according to a report.
“I hope to God they are listening and this is approved, and a lot of good will come of this,” Luz Rodriguez, the parent of a child who died of a suspected fentanyl overdose, said.
Listening sessions with parents like Rodriguez have been a catalyst for community groups to take action, the report noted.
“They want their kids to be in programs and not in the streets or being alone at home,” Janeth Valenzuela, a member of the Arlington Schools Hispanic Parents Association, said.
If the funding is granted, the after-school programs will begin at the middle school and high school levels starting next year, according to the report, and supporters think $2 million is worth it.