Sen. Emmett Hanger held a closed meeting with employees at the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents to figure out how to best serve the patients. Gov. Tim Kaine recently announced the center would be closed due to budget cuts.

Hanger says one topic he'll bring to Richmond next week is whether these children could be adequately cared for in private offices, which the governor thinks is possible.

He says, "Normally, I would be in agreement. If you can privatize things and do it efficiently and cost effectively, that's the thing to do. I'm not so sure that's the case here. We really need to come to a determination from studying the operation numbers and what the other options would be."

Hanger says local law makers will decide the fate of the patients and employees when they head to Richmond in January and February.