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Category: Resources 

Support for Immigrant Parents

There have been countless (and often conflicting) news stories in recent weeks about immigration in the United States. In our networks, the discussion–for years–has simply focused on how we can best care for and support these families. What is it like to be an immigrant and a parent? What are the unique fears, challenges, and needs faced by these families? Please […]

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New Resource Guide to Help Parents in Northern Virginia

We know how critical it is that parents stay connected with their communities, especially when they are isolating themselves out of fear or frustration. Please share our newest Parent Connection Resource Guide with parents in your network. With more than 80 parenting classes, support groups, workshops and more for parents across Northern Virginia, it also includes a key to find programs offered […]

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3 Facts on Child Sexual Abuse, Prevention and SCAN of Northern Virginia

  FACT: Child sexual abuse is far more prevalent than most people realize.   Child sexual abuse is likely the most prevalent health problem children face with the most serious array of consequences.   About one in 10 children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday.   This year, there will be about 400,000 […]

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Nominations OPEN for 2017 Allies in Prevention Awards

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. This will be the 15th year we celebrate the heroes who work passionately for the children, families and communities of Northern Virginia. Who will we […]

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SCAN Staff Book Picks: Winter 2017

Ready to read in 2017? SCAN staff members are! We’ve come up with a fresh list of books to recommend for child welfare professionals, advocates and parents you know. What are you reading this winter? We’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments below! “The Resilient Parent” by Mantu Joshi is a collection of essays […]

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Help Parents Prepare: Safe Sleep for Babies on New Year’s Eve

Although the exact cause of SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is unknown, we do know what risk factors can contribute to SIDS.   The following may increase the risk of SIDS: • Sleeping on the stomach • Being around cigarette smoke while in the womb or after being born • Sleeping in the same […]

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7 “Take Action” Tips from Advocacy Day

Last month, SCAN hosted its 5th Annual Speak Up for Children Advocacy Training, bringing together more than 40 attendees for a day of public policy education and advocacy training. Partners from Prevent Child Abuse Virginia and Voices for Virginia’s Children along with a diverse group of child welfare experts and elected officials led discussions during the day-long, interactive workshop. The […]

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SCAN’s Favorite Tools for Managing Stress (Holiday Edition!)

It’s December — are parents around you looking a little more frazzled? Stress is an issue for families all year long, but during the holidays it can reach a fevered pitch. Here are some of our favorite tips and resources to share with the families in your community: Make smart decisions about what you say […]

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Teen Suicide (Part 2)…What You Must Know from the Inside Out

This week we once again welcome Gretchen E. Downey, Prevention Expert and Best-Selling Author, as she shares her expertise on preventing suicide in – and strengthening our communication with – the teenagers in our lives. This is the second post in a two-part series: Ruling out genetics and specific pathologies related to mental health and suicide, there still […]

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Teen Suicide…What You Must Know From the Inside Out

This week we welcome Gretchen E. Downey, Prevention Expert and Best-Selling Author, as she shares her expertise on preventing suicide in – and strengthening our communication with – the teenagers in our lives. This is the first post in a two-part series: Our hearts ache when the tragedy of teen suicide occurs in our community. Is it preventable? […]

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Being Bilingual: A Volunteer Interview

Emma Pazos is a bilingual CASA volunteer in SCAN’s Alexandria/Arlington CASA Program. Originally from Peru, Emma is an internal auditor at a firm in D.C. She is currently on her first assigned case as a volunteer, and thus far has proven to be a dedicated, intelligent and caring CASA. We decided to sit down with her […]

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The Neurobiology of Trauma: An Important Introduction

  On October 5, SCAN—with support from LAWS (Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter) and its Loudoun Child Advocacy Center—brought together 129 local human service providers to hear Dr. Chris Wilson talk about The Neurobiology of Trauma. This relatively new approach allows those of us who work with children (including law enforcement, school staff, social workers and foster parents) to […]

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FAQs: Parents Ask Us About Safe Sleep

Since launching our Operation Safe Babies program last year, we’ve provided safe, portable cribs to more than 325 parents across Northern Virginia. We’ve also answered hundreds of their questions about how to make sleep safe for their babies. October is Safe Sleep Awareness Month, the perfect time to share some of the most common questions […]

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Parent Chats: Using SCAN’s Modules in Your Own Community

  The Arlington Partnership for Children Youth & Families (APCYF) recently launched a new “Parent Chats” initiative, an easy way for groups of parents to come together and talk about parenting: “The Partnership believes that, when parents share wisdom with one another, we all become better parents.” The chats can be as simple as a […]

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New Workshops with SCAN!

It’s a new school year and we’re excited to launch a new menu of workshops for the community! We encourage ALL groups of people to consider a workshop — from nonprofits, schools and government agencies to parenting groups, employers and faith groups. Our workshops are based on SCAN’s existing child abuse prevention and advocacy programs as well as the […]

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Fall Book Picks at SCAN

It’s back to school season for many in our community — what better time to pick up a new book and encourage your own reading habit? We’re sharing a few of our staff favorites this fall, and we hope you’ll share the books on your list this season, too! A few years ago, SCAN’s CASA volunteers […]

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5 Topics to Help Parents Start the School Year Off Right

Back-to-school season can be a time of changes and challenges for families with school-aged children. Sharing information and tools like these can be a great way to connect with parents when they need it most: Advocating for Your Child in School: Help parents connect with teachers and school staff in constructive ways at the beginning […]

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27 Children: A must-read on keeping kids safe in cars

Twenty-seven. 27 children in the U.S. have died from being left in a car this year alone. There is record heat in many parts of the country with more than one month of summer ahead of us, and the arrival of fall does not automatically mean cooler temperatures. As service providers and those who advocate for children […]

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Get Parents Connected This Fall

Twice a year, SCAN publishes the Parent Connection Resource Guide (PCRG), a catalog of parenting resources available in the Northern Virginia area. SCAN has just published its newest guide covering August through December of 2016. Our goal in preparing and distributing the PCRG to child welfare professionals is to spread the word about the plethora […]

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Summer Book Picks from SCAN

We’re reading some great books this summer at SCAN! Here are some of our current picks: Our CASA volunteers just finished reading Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc as part of their quarterly book club for in-service hours. LeBlanc chronicles the lives of two teenage […]

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Get Kids Outside! What is Nature Deprivation?

The average child spends LESS THAN 10 MINUTES each day outside for unstructured playtime. At the same time, we watch as the children we serve face increased stress levels, mental health issues, rising levels of obesity and huge amounts of time spent on computers and other devices. Nature Deprivation happens when children (and adults, too!) aren’t […]

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5 Ways to Begin Helping Refugee & Immigrant Parents

It’s estimated that one in every 122 people in the world has been uprooted from their homes due to conflict or persecution. Here in an increasingly diverse Northern Virginia, we see the impact of immigration, reunification and the refugee crisis on local children and adults. How can we support these families in our community? How […]

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New Tools to Help Parents Choose Child Care

One of the hardest decisions many parents face is who will care for their child: 6 out of 10 young children in the U.S. have both parents (or their sole caregiver) in the workforce. This means that millions of families have the difficult job of exploring, choosing and paying for child care. Parents need tools, […]

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