(Posted 2023 November)
In October, the Volunteer and Partner Services program was honored to send two practitioners to represent Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services at the 14th Annual Crimes Against Children Conference in Virginia Beach. Social services specialist, Francesca Lovitt, and VPS supervisor, Samantha Carrico, accompanied by Rylynn, our Department of Family Services’ facility dog, presented “Show Me the Money & Prevent the Abuse,” arguing for the intrinsic value of prevention to change lives.
Carrico and Lovitt shared about the work VPS does with volunteers, partners, and donors, including how organizations can get support from local communities for families when they are most in need and especially in preventing children from being abused.
The Annual Crimes Against Children Conference is organized by Children’s Advocacy Centers of Virginia (CACVA), an organization that provides technical support and training to help local communities respond to child maltreatment in ways that are effective and efficient, and most important of all, ensuring that the child victim's needs are met.
The conference included 46 sessions and three days of informal networking opportunities. Team members were able to focus on professional growth and development as well as prioritizing their own needs, so they could return home refreshed, recharged, and reinvigorated.
Carrico and Lovitt along with Rylynn had the pleasure of meeting staff from several child advocacy centers, other agencies, non-profits, law enforcement, and legal clinics. The sessions were filled with informative research and resources they could use in their work such as the science of hope, effective parenting evaluations, and online safety among a few. The VPS Team looks forward to attending and presenting again at the next annual conference.
This article posting is part of The Volunteer Post Newsletter for current and potential volunteers, sponsors and donors interested in supporting children and families in crisis. Learn more about Fairfax County Department of Family Services' Volunteer & Partner Services Program (VPS).