Families & Caregivers

Families & Caregivers

Parenting and Caregiving – Early Care Support

The first five years are the most important to a child’s well-being, and their development relies on the daily interactions they have with adults in their lives. As a child’s first teacher, it is essential for parents and caregivers to be knowledgeable and supported throughout their journey.

New Family Support

Welcoming a new baby into the world is a transformative experience, filled with joy, challenges, and a whirlwind of emotions. As families embark on this journey, having a solid support system can make all the difference. Community resources play a vital role in helping new families navigate the complexities of caring for their little one.

Early Impact Virginia | VA Home Visiting Directory

Home visiting is proven to strengthen families and help children grow up healthy and ready to learn. Early Impact Virginia connects expectant parents and families with young children to a trained, family support professional who provides customized coaching and guidance during pregnancy, postpartum and the early stages of a child’s development.

Urban Baby Beginnings

Urban Baby Beginnings® is a safe space for pregnant and postpartum families and their babies. Membership at UBB provides access to programs, health specialists such as navigators, doulas, lactation professionals, classes, and more!

Birth in Color

Through community events, workshops, and steadfast policy efforts, Birth in Color is working to redefine what maternal health means for families of color.

Little Hands Virginia

Little Hands Virginia, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, provides essentials and a little extra love to children newborn to three years old in need in Central Virginia.

Support Programs for New Military Parents | Military OneSource

The New Parent Support Program — which offers parenting education and support — can help you navigate this transition and find a balance between competing life demands and welcoming your new child successfully. It is a free, voluntary program staffed with home visitation professionals that is designed to help families thrive.

Nursing Families Returning to Work Guide - A Guide to Success

A guide for nursing families making plans to return to work.

Health & Nutrition

By focusing on prevention, promotion, early identification, and intervention, families can access the resources and support they need to overcome various barriers and challenges and transform their health outcomes. Prioritizing health and nutrition equity ensures that children start school healthy and prepared for success.

CoverVA - Insurance (Medicaid for Children and FAMIS)

Virginia Medicaid has low-cost and no-cost health coverage programs. There are programs for children, pregnant women and adults, including those with disabilities.

Virginia Vaccines for Children (VVFC)

Virginia Vaccines for Children’s (VVFC) program is managed by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), Division of Immunization (DOI). Through utilization of private and public providers, the VVFC program and DOI reduce barriers to immunizations. DOI supplies federally and state purchased vaccine at no cost to public and private health care providers.

Vaccines & Immunizations | CDC

Guide for parents and caregivers to ensure their child is up-to-date on recommended childhood vaccines.

Safe Sleep

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), which includes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is the leading cause of injury death in infancy. Sleep is a big challenge for families with babies, but following safe sleep recommendations can prevent many SUID fatalities.

Shaken Baby Awareness/Abusive Head Trauma

Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma (SBS/AHT) is a term used to describe the constellation of signs and symptoms resulting from violent shaking or shaking and impacting of the head of an infant or small child. The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome is also a great resource.

Virginia Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

The Program provides nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, supplemental nutritious foods, counseling at WIC clinics, and screening and referrals to other health, welfare, and social services.

Protective Factors to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

The protective factors are conditions in families and communities that, when present, increase the health and well-being of children and families. These attributes serve as buffers, helping parents find resources, support, or coping strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress. Research has shown that the protective factors are linked to a lower incidence of child abuse and neglect.

ACEs and Toxic Stress

ACEs is an acronym for "Adverse Childhood Experiences," a term used in psychology to describe various forms of trauma, abuse, and household dysfunction that can affect a child’s development and overall health later in life.

Child Development Resources

These free resources collectively empower families to support their young children’s growth, fostering a nurturing environment for overall child-wellbeing and development that will lead to school readiness.

The Basics Virginia

The Basics is five science–based parenting and caregiving tenets that support social, emotional, and cognitive development of children birth to five. The Basics movement aims to help every family help every child reach their full potential.

Learn the Signs

From birth to age 5, your child grows and achieves important milestones in playing, learning, speaking, acting, and moving. Monitor their development closely and address any concerns early on.

Zero to Three

ZERO TO THREE plays a key role in ensuring that babies and toddlers get a strong start in life by supporting parents with practical resources that help them connect more positively, deeply and continuously with their babies. This includes professionals with knowledge and tools to help support healthy early development along with policymakers to advance comprehensive and coherent policies that support and strengthen families, caregivers, and professionals.

Early Impact Virginia | VA Home Visiting Directory

Home visiting is proven to strengthen families and help children grow up healthy and ready to learn. Early Impact Virginia connects expectant parents and families with young children to a trained, family support professional who provides customized coaching and guidance during pregnancy, postpartum and the early stages of a child’s development.

Early Childhood Developmental Support

You know your child best. If you are concerned about your baby or young child’s growth in speech and language, physical, social-emotional, or cognitive development there are supports you can access for assistance.

If your child is under 3 years old, use the Central Directory link below to access the Infant and Toddler Connection of Virginia. https://itcva.online/central-directory/

If your child is 3 years old or older, call your local public elementary school (event if your child does not go to school there yet) and say: “I have concerns about my child’s development and I would like to have my child evaluated through the school system for preschool special education services.”

Champion for Your Child

Be the champion for your child’s health, as nothing is more important than your child’s well-being. Ask your doctor about your baby’s growth and physical, emotional, and social development.

The Infant and Toddler Connection of Virginia

For any number of reasons, many young children need a little extra help to reach certain developmental milestones. Infants and toddlers grow and learn so quickly, it’s important to get that extra help as early as possible. If you or your child’s doctor have any concerns about your child’s development, early identification and intervention can make a difference!

Mental Health Support

A child’s development is deeply connected to their parents’ well-being. The relationship between parent and child serves as a vital source of healing and positive change for the entire family.

Partners in Parenting

Partners in Parenting is a family-focused mental health practice providing evaluations, interventions, outpatient therapy, and parent consultation in and around Richmond, Virginia.

Virginia Association for Infant Mental Health (VAIMH)

VAIMH offers education, training, and resources to assist parents, caregivers, healthcare providers, educators, and other professionals in their everyday interactions with infants, young children, and their families.

Virginia Mental Health Access Program

The Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP) is a statewide initiative that increases access and improves mental, behavioral, and emotional health and development by providing education, consultation, and care navigation to medical providers of infants, children, adolescents, young adults, and pregnant & postpartum people.

Greater Richmond SCAN

SCAN provides the awareness, support, advocacy, treatment and education needed to enhance the lives of children. SCAN’s services promote positive parenting, strengthen families and help create a community that values and cares for its children.

Childsavers

Childsavers offers children’s mental health services in Richmond, VA. Childsavers’ licensed therapists incorporate art therapy, play therapy, and sand tray therapy with resilience and strengths-based treatment, customized to fit your child’s needs. They accept Medicaid and private insurance.

Community Supports

Family support is essential for emotional resilience, particularly during stressful or challenging times. It fosters a sense of security and belonging, enhances coping mechanisms, and contributes to overall mental health and well-being.

2-1-1 Virginia

Connecting families to resources in their community. Get help paying bills, finding food, and locating other resources near you.

Feed More

Feed More collects, prepares and distributes food to bring hunger relief to neighbors in need throughout Central Virginia. Our comprehensive programs and Agency Network are dedicated to providing nourishment and hope to our neighbors facing hunger.

Homeless Connection Line of Greater Richmond

Find out about community resources and connect you to homeless assistance if needed.

Help1RVA

Free or reduced-cost services like food, housing, child care and work.

Resources in Your Community

Click on your locality using the map or the locality names below for a list of resources.