November 30, 2018–SCAN held its 7th Annual “Speak Up for Children” Training for Advocates in Virginia on Friday November 30th fat the South County Government Center in Alexandria. More than 50 guests attended. The day began with an “Advocacy 101” training from Johanna Schuchert, Co-Founder and former Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Virginia. This […]
As we reflect on the impact of our programs in 2017, it’s an important time for us to gather new data about children and families in our communities. One of our favorite resources for statistics is Voices for Virginia’s Children, especially their links to the Kids Count Data Center, a project of the Annie E. Casey […]
With the 2018 General Assembly Session just a month away, it’s a critical time for advocates to start speaking up for children and families in Northern Virginia. We recently hosted our 6th Annual “Speak Up for Children” Advocacy Day to help community members prepare. With generous support from Verizon, we welcomed Prevent Child Abuse Virginia and Voices for Virginia’s […]
For individuals committed to the well-being of Northern Virginia’s children and families, SCAN’s 6th Annual “Speak Up for Children” Advocacy Training event — made possible by Verizon — is a unique opportunity to learn more about a legislative process that impacts both how children and families receive care, as well as the institutions that deliver said […]
October 19, 2017–SCAN has announced its 6th annual “Speak Up for Children” Training for Virginia Advocates, which will take plan on November 16th in partnership with Prevent Child Abuse Virginia (PCAV) and Voices for Virginia’s Children. Made possible by support from Verizon, speakers will help demystify the legislative process and share strategies for being an effective advocate for children. Attendees […]
When we work directly with children and families on a daily basis, it can be helpful to take a step back and look at the “big picture” of the greater community. Voices for Virginia’s Children is an excellent source of data, trends and advocacy alerts related to child welfare in the commonwealth. Their clickable maps make it easy to look […]
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 […]
October 18, 2016 On Friday, November 18th, SCAN will partner with Prevent Child Abuse Virginia to host our 5th Annual “Speak Up for Children” Training for Virginia Advocates. Participants will better understand the legislative process and learn how to be an effective advocate. They’ll also hear policy advocates and legislators discuss some of the key […]
Our Executive Director Sonia Quiñónez spent time meeting with Prevent Child Abuse Virginia and other regional affiliates this week. Much of the discussion focused on what’s next for children and families in the Commonwealth. We’ve blogged a few times this year about the General Assembly and what’s happening in Richmond. Now that the dust […]
This year’s General Assembly came to a close on March 11th, and it is important to give thanks to our elected officials who have worked diligently on behalf of Virginia’s children and youth. Back in January at the start of the legislative session, SCAN focused on three issues: early childhood education, kinship care, and foster […]
Every January, the Virginia General Assembly convenes, and this year children’s issues are once again at the forefront of many discussions. The three main agenda items SCAN will be focusing on in 2016 are early education, foster care and youth, and kinship care. A significant development this year that has the potential to greatly impact […]
September was Kinship Care month and also the first annual Kinship Symposium sponsored by the Northern Virginia Kinship Group. And like all other awareness months, it is more than that to those 2.7 million children that are cared for by relatives and close family friends. What is kinship care? Child Welfare Information Gateway defines it […]
Children’s issues are proving to be a major concern for The Virginia General Assembly 2015 session, which convened on January 14th. Over 150 pieces of legislation related to children and family issues have been introduced, and SCAN’s Legislative & Advocacy Committee is reviewing these bills and will follow them as they move through the legislative […]
Many of us support pre-kindergarten programs because they help children enter kindergarten more prepared and give parents the flexibility to work and support their families. But there is another reason child abuse prevention advocates should support pre-k: The research shows that a high-quality pre-kindergarten (pre-k) program with a strong parent coaching component can actually help […]