SCAN of Northern Virginia - 2023 Summer Newsletter

Celebrating 35 years preventing child abuse

In 1988 SCAN was founded to make Northern Virginia a safer place for children. Since then, we have built a community of child protection experts, dedicated volunteers, and caring supporters to help children thrive. We’ll be celebrating this milestone all year long—stay tuned while we look back on the historical moments that led us to where we are today, and forward to a future without child abuse.

We’re growing! This Spring has been transformational for SCAN.

We’ve moved! SCAN’s office is now directly across the street from Alexandria’s Courthouse, connecting our staff and volunteers with the families we serve in new and better ways than ever before. Our new space marks the beginning of a new chapter at SCAN. A chapter of growth, innovation, and meaningful disruption. We’re focused on pushing the boundaries in child protection like never before, and we’re building the best team possible to do it. Join us in welcoming three incredible additions to our leadership team.

Dana Johnston joins SCAN as the VP of Development, Finance, and Communications. For over 40 years Dana has managed large and small for-profit and nonprofit organizations, bringing a wealth of knowledge to SCAN.

Samantha Clarke, MSW, MPA joins SCAN as the Deputy Director. Specializing in outcome-driven program development, Sam joins SCAN from LAWS Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services, where she served as the COO.

Cinzia Pacheco joins SCAN as the Director of Family Programs. She has spent 24 years as an Early Childhood Educator. Her passion is helping parents learn positive parenting and build strong, healthy connections with their children.

Bringing International Expertise to NOVA

Preventing child trafficking in Fairfax:

Building a multidisciplinary team with Dr. Jordan Greenbaum

It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes an even bigger village to keep that child safe. When we began seeing an increase in trafficking and child exploitation across Northern Virginia, we knew our healthcare providers, educators, law enforcement, and human service partners deserved support from the best. This June, we hosted a hands-on, full-day workshop in Fairfax with Dr. Jordan Greenbaum, an international subject matter expert on child sex trafficking and exploitation.

Over 65 professionals from every county joined us to learn best practices for building trust with victims, and this is just the beginning. We’re continuing to work closely with these partners and Dr. Greenbaum to build comprehensive anti-trafficking teams throughout NOVA.

Building secure family attachments:

Cutting-edge child abuse prevention curriculum now at SCAN

For decades, parent support has been focused on behavior modification and trying to find ways to stop a child from doing something. But preventing abuse requires us to think differently. This spring, we onboarded a new program designed to be less reactive and more prevention focused. Circle of Security® is an internationally recognized caregiver series grounded in 60 years of research. Instead of keeping things from going wrong, Circle of Security® teaches caregivers how to help things go right. After 8 weeks of classes, one parent shared, “Things that used to be hard aren’t anymore.” Fostering secure relationships between caregivers and their children creates happier, more successful families. We’ve already seen this impact in our first class, and look forward to our next series in September.

CASA Volunteer Spotlight:

Meet Alex

Sponsorships are available! Visit scanva.org/toast to learn more.

Alex joined SCAN’s CASA program during the pandemic in 2021. “Most other volunteer programs weren’t active,” she says. “CASA was one of the few things still continuing because kids still needed advocates.” Alex’s passion has always been speaking up for those who can’t speak for themselves. Her proudest moment as a CASA came after a visit with the nine-year-old on her case. After meeting for the first time, he gave her a note she’ll never forget. “I still have it at home,” she says. “It said ‘come back next month.’ I still get emotional thinking about it.” In addition to volunteering, Alex led a fundraiser at her workplace this April in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month. Her efforts raised over $3,000 for NOVA’s vulnerable youth.