VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

The Virginia Department of Social Services' Protection and Prevention Team, in partnership with Families Forward Virginia, hosted the Annual Statewide Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Conference on April 15-16, 2024. This annual conference welcomes local departments of social services staff, child welfare community partners, advocates and organizational staff offering direct support to Virginia families and children.

We explored and celebrated the concept of creating a future where people feel empowered, connected, and optimistic about their collective and individual contributions towards ending child abuse and neglect. This focus lifts a holistic approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of physical, social, emotional, cultural, and economic elements to create an environment that nurtures human potential and well-being. Take a look at the video recap from the event.

We welcomed the distinguished Dr. Viola Vaughan-Eden, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.J. as the keynote speaker of the 2024 conference. Dr. Vaughan-Eden is a professor and Ph.D. program director at Norfolk State University's Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, and the president and CEO of Up for Champions.

Dr. Viola Vaughan-Eden,
Ph.D., M.S.W., M.J.

VDSS also hosted Virginia's first ever Trees for Champions event, in partnership with the UP Institute. This event honors the lives lost to child abuse and neglect by planting memorial trees and reinforces our community's commitment to preventing future tragedies. We honored 16 members of the child welfare community by presenting them with trees to plant for their commitment to protecting children from further abuse and neglect.