This report has been prepared and submitted to fulfill the requirements of Chapter 1, Item 272(B)(2) of the 2026 Appropriation Act that states:

The Office of Children’s Services, in coordination with the Virginia Department of Education's Office of Special Education, shall report to the General Assembly by October 1 of each year: (i) recommendations made to each LEA and progress made in improving the LEA's ability to serve students; (ii) an assessment of barriers to students returning to a LEA from a private day placement including instances when the LEA refuses or is unable to provide a less restrictive environment due to a lack of available transition services and recommendations for returning students to public school who are deemed eligible; and (iii) trends in behavioral and emotional diagnoses including students on home-based instruction that may require private day placements.

The information contained in this report was provided to the Office of Children’s Services by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and includes data collected during the 2025-2026 school year. OCS thanks VDOE for its ongoing partnership and collaboration in serving children and families throughout the Commonwealth.