For Families

Virginia Department of Social Services

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) is a state supervised and locally administered social services system.  The Department is responsible for administering a variety of programs, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Adoption, Child Care Assistance, Refugee Resettlement Services, and Child and Adult Protective Services.

Child Care Aware of Virginia

Child Care Aware of Virginia understands the importance of quality early childhood experiences and provides resources to help families educate themselves so they can support their children’s special needs.  On this website you can get referrals to childcare providers in your area, talk to experts about what type of childcare is best for your child, learn what quality childcare is and how to find it, learn about child development and understand how children act and grow, talk to experts about parenting issues, and lastly learn how to educate yourself and advocate for children’s issues and public polices at the local, state, and national level.

Virginia Quality, Tidewater Community College 

Virginia Quality is a voluntary system to assess, improve and communicate the level of quality in early care and education settings that families consider for their children. Virginia Quality tells parents what quality looks like and what the quality rating standards for quality improvement are.

CHKD Parenting Classes and Resources

CHKD parenting experts partner with parents and professionals throughout Hampton Roads by offering a variety of educational services. Find upcoming classes and educational opportunities to learn more about parenting and education.

Center for Family and Child Services

This website from Center for Child and Family Services, Inc. provides a variety of resources, services, and training to help families and caregivers raise confident, competent, and happy children.

Smart Beginnings

This website provides parents and families a way to educate themselves about quality child care indicators and their child’s development.  The services provided by Smart Beginnings allows parents to become fluent in quality childcare indicators, receive a customized list of providers that meet the direct needs of their family, confidently place their child in a setting with the help of resources provided by SBVP staff, and locate resources within their area to support their child’s developmental growth.

 Community Connections

A resource guide for families, caregivers and educators of young children birth – age five in South Hampton Roads.

2-1-1 VIRGINIA

2-1-1 is an easy to remember phone number connecting people with free information on available community services.  2-1-1- VIRGINIA is available 24/7/365 in over 200 languages.  When you dial 2-1-1, a trained professional listens to your situation and suggests sources of help using one of the largest databases of health and human services in Virginia.  2-1-1 VIRGINIA provides access to services in your community and statewide, with referrals for:

  • Utilities
  • Food
  • Housing
  • Clothing
  • Legal Aid
  • Emergency Shelter
  • Disability Services
  • Senior Services
  • Medical and Dental Care
  • Consumer Counseling
  • Literacy
  • Childcare
  • Mental Health Services
  • Parenting Services
  • Employment Services
  • Veteran Services
  • Volunteer Opportunities
  • …and more.

All referrals are confidential and you can search for these same services on this 2-1-1 VIRGINIA website.  2-1-1 VIRGINIA is a service of the Virginia Department of Social Services provided in partnership with the Council of Community Services, the United Way of Central Virginia, and the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg.

Government, nonprofit, and community-based agencies, as well as businesses that provide health and human services to the citizens of Virginia, are encouraged to list their services. To list your agency, click on “Update/Add Your Agency” and then click on the “Add New Agency” button.

CHIP of South Hampton Roads

CHIP of South Hampton Roads provides a continuum of prevention and early intervention programs, universal screening for at risk factors associated with poor health outcomes, and appropriate service levels based on children’s and families’ strengths and needs.

FAMIS, Quality Low Cost Health Insurance for Children

FAMIS is Virginia’s health insurance program for children. It makes health care affordable for children of eligible families. FAMIS covers all the medical care growing children need to avoid getting sick, plus the medical care that will help them if they do get sick or get hurt.

Virginia Infant and Toddler Specialist Network

This website provides resources and materials covering milestones of Child Development and on-site services include individualized consultation, targeted training, classroom-focused mentoring, and feedback as well as resources and materials related to increasing the quality of care provided to infants and toddlers.