Children Youth & Family Services

Program: Child Care Quality

Program Description:

We help parents identify child care needs and locate appropriate providers.  The program also provides training for child care providers.  As children can spend as much as 8-10 hours per day in child care, the quality of the care they receive is critical to early learning and school readiness. 

Program Long-Term Success:

Research has consistently shown that successful early learning is correlated with future economic success for both the individual and the  community.

Program Short-Term Success:

Fourteen local child care providers were awarded the state's Star Quality Rating with the mentoring assistance of CYFS's Child Care Qyality Educators.  The 5-star rating system indicates the level of quality care given by the provider.

Program Success Monitored by:

Seal of Quality Child Care
CYFS works with providers enrolled in the Seal of Quality Child Care program of the Partnership for Children. The seal is awarded to participating area regulated providers who demonstrate quality service – including safety, programming, nutrition and environment – to the children in their care. There are four levels of recognition available in the Seal program. Providers are offered resources, training and mentoring to assess and improve their care to earn higher Seal levels. The Seal may be posted at the child care site to let parents know that they are receiving quality care for their children. The program is free and voluntary.

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Program: Victims of Child Abuss (VOCA)

Program Description:

We provide free direct outpatient counseling to children who have been victims of abuse or neglect as well as to their non-abusing family members including siblings, and parents/guardians. Counseling services are also available for children living in homes where domestic violence has taken place.  VOCA Treatment Specialists help children to cope with the trauma of abuse and move forward successfully. 

Program Long-Term Success:

VOCA is committed to stopping the cycle of abuse before it starts.

Program Short-Term Success:

Last year, 12 trainings were provided at no cost to local youth serving agencies, child care centers, and other organizations regarding child abuse prevention and identification mandated reporting requirements, and the effects of child abuse on kids and families. 

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Program: Family Connections

Program Description:

We provide parents with workshops and classes as well as informal instruction through our Parenting Mobile, which visits low income neighborhoods.

Program Long-Term Success:

One of our Family Connections programs, REAL Dads, improves the quality of children's lives by supporting fathers in becoming more Responsible, Empowering, Available and Loving men in the lives of their Children. What will this program provide you? The REAL Dads program provides encouragement and support to dads and provides fathers with resources and information to support their parenting goals. Children NEED fathers and fathers NEED their children. The REAL Dads program helps to strengthen this relationship.

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Program: Teen Counselin Services Program

Program Description:

The CYFS Teen Counseling Program is the counseling and outreach branch of the Runaway Emergency Services Program (RESP). The Teen Counseling Program provides free crisis and ongoing counseling to teens as young as 12 who have run away, are at risk of running away, were thrown out of their home, or at risk of being thrown out or being homeless. This includes teens engaged in high-risk behaviors, such as doing drugs, breaking the law, or hurting themselves, as well as families with teens who are experiencing increased conflict at home. Counseling can be provided over the phone, in home, in school, or outpatient and can be targeted to work with the teen individually or to work with the family as a whole. The program also offers service linkage to emergency shelter in a local group home for up to 21 days to provide a safe place for teens to stay while working to resolve the issues that led to them leaving home. Teen Counseling Program services are available to teens in Charlottesville and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties. All Teen Counseling Program and RESP services are free of charge.

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Program: Home Visiting Program

Program Description:

The CYFS Home Visiting programs offer new mothers and parents of young children support to nurture their children in a positive, enriching and rewarding way. Once a family is enrolled in the program, a home visitor will begin visiting, usually once a week. The home visitor serves as a resource for parenting, child development and child health information, and is familiar with other resources in the community. Home visiting is tailored to meet each family’s needs. It is designed to use the strengths of the parent to achieve goals she sets for her family. Families can become eligible during pregnancy and until the child turns 6 years old. Services are free to families in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

Healthy Families is specifically designed to serve first-time moms who receive assistance from the WIC program through the health department. Mothers may begin participation even before the baby is born.

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