ABOUT VOICES FOR VIRGINIA’S CHILDREN
MISSION
Voices for Virginia’s Children champions public policies and legislation that achieve positive and equitable outcomes for young people.
In 2022, Voices’ board and staff joined hands to reflect on its nearly 30-year history and to identify new guiding language for the organization.
Voices believes that when we actively place the needs of children in the center of our public policy debates, we create the conditions for entire families and communities to flourish. Our theory of change draws a throughline from Voices’ day-to-day research, advocacy, and community building work to the transformational impact we seek to have on the Commonwealth. Each element of our theory of change recognizes that young people can and should have agency to influence the policies impacting their lives.
VISION
Voices for Virginia’s Children envisions a Virginia in which our systems center young people, ensuring their ability to realize their brightest potential is no longer predictable by race, socioeconomic status, or geography.
OUR NETWORK
Voices proudly serves as the KIDS COUNT data center for the state of Virginia. We are also a member of the Partnership for America’s Children.
LEADERSHIP MESSAGE
We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be: a country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation. Our blunders become their burdens. But one thing is certain: If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children’s birthright. – Amanda Gorman, 2017 National Youth Poet Laureate, excerpt from “The Hill We Climb”
Dear Friend,
In 1994, a bipartisan group of advocates founded Voices for Virginia’s Children with a simple yet powerful belief: when we place the well-being of young people at the center of public policy, we can build a better Virginia for us all. Our founders also knew that the most successful advocacy takes place in community. You are a vital part of the Voices community, and we are filled with gratitude for your support.
Over the past three decades, Voices for Virginia’s Children has catalyzed policy change to improve the well-being of children and youth across Virginia. We have consistently centered the needs of young people through credible research, legislative analysis, and engagement.
The last year has been a time of transformation and growth as we have leaned into our new theory of change. In the fall, we held a summit on youth mental health policy and explored healing centered engagement as a model for addressing community trauma. We held our first youth policy incubator program and welcomed our second cohort of Virginia’s Youth in Action advocates.
During the 2024 legislative session, we saw the culmination of a decade of advocacy with the enactment of a comprehensive, statewide kinship care program and landmark new investments in early care and education across Virginia.
As we celebrate thirty years of advocacy, we also acknowledge the reality that our work is more important than ever. As income inequality soars, Virginia is losing the battle against childhood poverty. As we continue to adjust to our postpandemic world, our young people are struggling with an unprecedented mental health crisis. Affordable health care continues to be out of reach for far too many families. It will take each of us working together to create a Virginia where all young people can thrive. We are grateful for your partnership in this vital work.
With great appreciation,
Rachael Deane
Rachael Deane Chief Executive Officer
Cyrillene Clark, ph.d. Chair, Board of Directors
AMPLIFYING THE VOICES OF LOCAL ADVOCATES ACROSS VIRGINIA
The Amplify Awards, formerly known as the Carol S. Fox Making Kids Count Awards, further the legacy of Carol Spaulding Fox, one of the illustrious Virginians who founded the Action Alliance for Virginia’s Children and Youth in 1994.
Carol was a long-serving Voices board member, inspiring the organization and her peers during her tenure as board chair. Throughout her 17 years of service, Carol was instrumental in moving Voices to its position of statewide policy and advocacy leadership. It is our great pleasure to carry out Carol’s legacy of lifting up and amplifying the voices of young people through our Amplify Awards.
Nominees for our 2023 Amplify Awards included organizations and individuals involved in public policy, advocacy, public awareness, program development, grassroots organizing, data analysis, research, or other civic or community-level service.
AWARD HONOREES WERE REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE:
• Efforts focused on young people to promote positive and equitable outcomes;
• Dedication to young people who have been impacted by systemic injustices;
• Work that inspired local, state or national policy change or informed policy conversations;
• High ethical standards; and
• Value for the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Uplifting the many accomplishments of our esteemed honorees was a highlight of last year, and we are looking forward to the many ways our award winners will continue to transform their communities. These committed advocates continue to seek support, collaborate with likeminded individuals, and forge partnerships to advance the well-being of youth across Virginia. We invite you to join them, learn from their experiences, mentor or be mentored, and, most crucially, lend a helping hand in amplifying their advocacy.
YOUTH-LED: VA CHAPTER OF VOTERS OF TOMORROW Aaron Lopez & Elijah Lee
ESTABLISHED ADVOCATE: Nancy Deutsch
HEALING CENTERED: PRETTY PURPOSE Bianca Myrick
ESTABLISHED ADVOCATE: Janai Santiago
YOUTH IN ACTION
VIRGINIA’S
In 2023, Voices’ inaugural cohort of youth advocates graduated from our Virginia’s Youth in Action program (VAYA).
This group of advocates met with 17 lawmakers, hosted a bipartisan mental health press conference, published two op-eds, and spoke on various panels where they addressed leaders and aspiring changemakers. Participants of this impressive first cohort have gone on to graduate from high school and college, attend prestigious universities, serve as interns for legislative offices and advocacy organizations, and even start their own nonprofit organization. Several VAYA graduates returned for Voices’ first Summer Policy Incubator, where participants learned how to conduct listening sessions, how to compile anecdotal or qualitative data, and worked together to develop a storytelling and advocacy “zine” to share their findings and calls to action.
In September, Voices was invited to join the new Intergenerational Learning Collaborative convened by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
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This group of youth-focused organizations from across the country are working together to develop and test an intergenerational community engagement tool kit aimed at deepening youthadult partnerships within community change initiatives. Our advocacy and engagement staff, along with youth consultants, attended a summit in Memphis to meet other partners from the collaborative. During the convening, Voices joined in community building and strategic planning around intergenerational collaboration, with sessions led by Annie E. Casey Foundation, BRIDGES USA, and Youthprise. The team assessed equity within youth and adult partnerships at Voices and in Virginia’s Youth in Action and explored opportunities for growth. The group enjoyed exploring the historic city of Memphis, took in plenty of amazing sights, and experienced delicious foods.
IN THE NEWS
YOUTH
VOICES AND OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ARE CRUCIAL TO AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND ITS LEGITIMACY.
– Kayla Bravo, guest columnist
In the fall, Voices welcomed our second cohort of Virginia’s Youth in Action (VAYA). The cohort’s 13 participants represented multiple diverse identities, especially those that are most overlooked and underrepresented in Virginia policymaking.
Members identified as racially diverse, neurodivergent, disabled, and nonbinary in addition to having unique living experiences with mental health, immigration, living in rural areas, being a young parent, and being in foster care.
The young advocates’ hard work shined bright in January at Voices’ annual Youth Advocacy Day at the Virginia legislature. Advocates met with 15 of their local representatives at the General Assembly Building in downtown Richmond.
Voices staff led monthly meetings with VAYA, making space for participants to learn about the Virginia legislative process, power and privilege in lawmaking, and storytelling for change.
VAYA advocates focused their efforts on policy issues including mental health in schools; youth mental health crisis services; school infrastructure and resources; language access; Black maternal health and health equity; child welfare and foster care; and special education staffing and resources. In a bipartisan press conference focused on mental health, youth advocates shared personal stories and calls to action in favor of more accessible and diverse mental health resources for young people in Virginia.
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BEYOND TRAUMA: CREATING SPACE FOR PROFESSIONAL CHANGE WORKERS
In 2021, Voices hosted Racial Truth & Reconciliation Week – an event that spurred critical dialogue on the intersections of traumainformed care and the healing centered framework by Dr. Shawn Ginwright (Dr. G).
Through applying this relational, strengthsbased community engagement approach, Voices experienced the transformative outcomes of healing centered work through our advocacy days and alongside our community partners.
As a result of our illuminating experiences with young leaders, ideas began to spark with the Voices team, including an eagerness to share the promise and potential of healing centered engagement with leaders, decision makers, community members, and other professionals in the field of youth mental health.
Drawing inspiration from Dr. G’s quote, “We can’t expect the young people to be well when the adults are wounded,” Voices wanted to bring opportunities for reflection and conversation amidst practitioners and administrators to influence the landscape of youth mental health and policy in Virginia, resulting in the Beyond Trauma: Youth Mental Health Policy Summit.
Voices invited new and existing community partners to participate in a Summit Advisory Council to help shape workshops, nominate speakers, and imagine panels within the curriculum tracks of: Individual, Interpersonal, and Institutional. Aware that healing centered work has already existed across the state, the Summit also created opportunities for longtime community healers to share their ideas and experiences with a wide audience. And of course, we were eager to host Dr. G himself as our keynote
SUMMIT KEYNOTE SPEAKER: DR. SHAWN GINWRIGHT
AUTHOR • PROFESSOR • ACTIVIST
Dr. Shawn Ginwright is one of the nation’s leading innovators, provocateurs, and thought leaders on Black youth, youth activism, and youth development. He is Professor of Education in the Africana Studies Department and a Senior Research Associate at San Francisco State University.
His research examines the ways in which youth in urban communities navigate through the constraints of poverty and struggle to create equality and justice in their schools and communities.
He is the author of several books and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Flourish Agenda, Inc., a national nonprofit consulting firm, whose mission is to design strategies that unlock the power of healing and engage youth of color and adult allies in transforming their schools and communities.
INDIVIDUAL TRACK
This workshop series reenergized participants through nourishing practices and community care for change and healing workers. This track included building capacity in individual and advocacy practices by including elements of healing centered leadership, personal storytelling for change, adopting transformative self-care practices and using the healing technique of play as a means of personal and interpersonal connection and reflection.
HEALING CENTERED LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP
PLAYING, HEALING, THRIVING: GAMES AND ENERGIZERS FOR REFLECTION & CONNECTION
INTRODUCTION: BIANCA MYRICK
PANELIST: NICO CLIMACO
PANELIST: BOB NICKLES
PANELIST: JOHN FRAZIER
FROM PEN TO PURPOSE: PERSONAL STORYTELLING FOR CHANGE
PRESENTER: SHARI WILTSHIRE
CHALLENGING THE POWER DYNAMIC: STRATEGIES FOR YOUTH LED WORK PANEL
MODERATOR: ROBIN SAWYER
PANELIST: TIARA WHITFIELD
INTERPERSONAL TRACK
PANELIST: SOPHIA BOOKER
PANELIST: DR. ALEX WAGAMAN
This workshop series reimagined how to effectively support youth through healing centered practices as an organization or team. Workshops in this track included strategies for youth led work, supporting the psychological well-being of youth of color, and improving the ecosystem for LGBTQ+ youth mental health.
IMPROVING THE ECOSYSTEM FOR LGBTQ+ YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
MODERATOR: KYLEIGH HYNES
PANELIST: HYACINTH BELLEROSE
PANELIST: DUSTIN KEITH
PANELIST: SHANNON MCKAY
THE PROMISES OF RACIAL SOCIALIZATION IN SUPPORTING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL BEING OF YOUTH OF COLOR
PRESENTER: DR. SHAWN C.T. JONES
PANELIST: REINA “REI’ PALENCIA
INSTITUTIONAL TRACK
This workshop series reframed the narratives of youth mental health topics and how institutions support systematic change. Workshops included discussions on the “Right Help, Right Now,” mental health plan, school-based mental health supports for children and youth, exploring narratives of youth well-being, and housing as a social driver of youth mental health.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE: HOW THE “RIGHT HELP RIGHT NOW” PLAN CAN BEST MEET COMMUNITY NEEDS
MODERATOR: CHLO’E EDWARDS
PANELIST: DR. ALEXIS APLASCA
PANELIST: DR. ANJALI FERGUSON
PANELIST: KIM YOUNG
PANELIST: MEGAN HOLLIS
THRIVING LEARNERS: LESSONS FROM SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
MODERATOR: ALEX GUZMAN
PANELIST: NINA MARINO
PANELIST: AMY JOHNSON
PANELIST: JOSEPH WHARFF
STABLE HOUSING THRIVING FAMILIES: HOUSING AS A SOCIAL DRIVER OF YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
MODERATOR: KASHISH PILLAI
PANELIST: ASHANTI JONES
PANELIST: STEFANIE BASS
PANELIST: KELLY EVANS
EVERY YOUNG PERSON IS POWERFUL: SHIFTING THE NARRATIVE ON YOUTH WELL-BEING
PANELIST: RACHEL DOUGLAS
LUNCH PLENARY
“Generational Healing Through Youth Advocacy” featured Ava Holloway and Ishika Vij (members of Virginia’s Youth in Action) and their parents, Amanda Lynch and Sumeet Vij (respectively), expertly moderated by Kristin Lennox, Voices for Virginia’s Children. This panel featured an intimate conversation about the transformative and healing properties of youth advocacy, the implications and aspirations of engaging in change work and exercising youth agency as not only an impetus for greater social change, but also the unexpected outcomes of healing at the community and familial levels.
SUMMIT ADVISORY COUNCIL
IMPROVING THE LIVES OF VIRGINIA’S YOUNG PEOPLE IS A POLICY CHOICE
VIRGINIA’S
Over a dynamic legislation session, Voices educated lawmakers and advocated for positive and equitable outcomes for young people across the Commonwealth. We supported over 80 bills prioritizing brighter futures for young people.
Through our unwavering commitment, we’ve engaged lawmakers, collaborated with impactful coalitions, and mobilized young people and their families to actively participate in the democratic process at the Virginia General Assembly. The collective efforts of our community have been inspiring, with 373 responses to our action alerts amplifying our collective voices and making a tangible impact. The signed budget demonstrates significant progress in early childhood education and strengthening youth mental health support. However, the legislature did not take any action to enhance family economic security, such as implementing the child tax credit, revealing the critical need for our continued work on behalf Virginia’s young people
1. ECONOMIC SECURITY
“We know there are smarter, less costly tax proposals that can bring meaningful relief to families, such as strengthening the refundable portion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and creating a state level child tax credit.” – Emily Moore, Senior Policy Analyst, Voices for Virginia’s Children
Our Impact (areas of victory): As pandemicera supports such as the expanded federal Child Tax Credit, expanded SNAP benefits, and universal school meals have ended, Virginians are experiencing increasing food insecurity. During the 2024 legislative session, ensuring that children and families have access to nutritious, locally sourced food was a priority of Voices, our partners in the Virginia Food Access Coalition, and many lawmakers—including our food access champions, Senator Danica Roem, Delegate Rae Cousins, Delegate Cia Price, and Delegate Elizabeth
Bennett-Parker. The Virginia Commission to End Hunger (HB 607) will be a collaborative opportunity for legislators, community organizations, and impacted community members—including a high school junior or senior—to address the root causes of hunger and food insecurity by studying and making recommendations for policy change.
Continuing the Fight (areas we are working towards or will revisit next session): Voices will continue leading the fight for a state-level Child Tax Credit (CTC) in Virginia alongside our partners at The Commonwealth Institute (TCI) and the Tax Fairness for Virginia Coalition. Child poverty is a policy choice, and as we learned during the pandemic, direct support to families stabilizes their budgets and allows families flexibility to help them put food on their tables and pay for their day-to-day needs. A state-level CTC would help more than 1 million children in over 640,000 Virginia families.
2. EARLY CARE & EDUCATION
“When those dollars [federal pandemic funding] stopped back in June, many child care centers in Virginia were facing hard decisions of whether they were going to be able to stay open.” – Allison Gilbreath, Senior Director of Policy and Programs at Voices for Virginia’s Children
Our Impact (areas of victory): The pandemic highlighted how essential our early childhood system is not only to our earliest learners but to families abilities to contribute to the workforce. This session legislators made a historic $1.1 billion investment alongside bills that will change the early childhood funding formula allocated for these services, with the Department of Education providing an annual report on projected funds needed to maintain current slots and meet growing demand. The funds will be based on the per-child cost for various programs and eligibility criteria. Regional entities, school divisions, and localities must indicate their slot needs, and the Department of Education will reallocate slots, make adjustments based on family preferences, and prioritize state funds. If there are still waitlists, the bill establishes the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund to address the remaining demand and preferences.
Continuing the Fight (areas we are working towards or will revisit next session): The investments made this year will bolster the child care ecosystem previously supported by one-time COVID-related funds. We aim to increase investments to assist not only lowincome families, but also middle-income families significantly affected by the high cost of childcare. Additionally, we will support initiatives to enhance compensation for early childhood educators.
3. CHILD WELFARE
“We unnecessarily remove children (from families) and don’t provide families with the support they need.” – Allison Gilbreath, Senior Director of Policy and Programs at Voices for Virginia’s Children
Our Impact (areas of victory): After nearly a decade of advocacy educating lawmakers on the importance of Virginia becoming a “Kin-First” state, the Kinship as Foster Care Prevention Program became law in July. The bill will allow for relatives, or fictive kin, to gain custody of their relatives’ children who would otherwise enter foster care and receive financial assistance, wrap around supports for DSS, and support from Virginia kinship navigators.
Continuing the Fight (areas we are working towards or will revisit next session): We will continue to support Virginia being a kin-first state and as we do, we will seek to support efforts to increase compensation for attorneys representing families in child dependency cases with the goal of creating a parent advocacy commission.
4. MENTAL HEALTH
“Given the ongoing youth mental health crisis, now is the time for action.” – Cat Atkinson, Mental Health Policy Analyst at Voices for Virginia’s Children
Our Impact (areas of victory): During the 2024 legislative session, we saw improvements in language and funding for youth-specific crisis services. As lawmakers energetically uplifted various youth mental health priorities, we focused our efforts on advancing school-based mental health legislation and budget items. Voices worked closely with Delegate Srinivasan to pass legislation that develops a model memorandum of understanding (MOU) for K-12 public schools to contract with a nationally known tele-mental health provider. This legislation offers schools the ability to meet the mental health needs of students while the state continues to contend with the statewide workforce shortage.
Continuing the Fight (areas we are working towards or will revisit next session): The statewide workforce shortage is at the root of youth mental health access challenges; and although, fantastic school-based mental health legislation was passed this year, we must continue to fight for state investments that will prioritize our students at the secondary and university level. Prioritization includes the state actively innovating on the recruitment of, improving the workforce conditions of, and supporting the providers and peers who provide these mental health services to our young people. We are excited to continue working with Delegate Srinivasan over the summer to develop legislation that will further student accessibility to mental health services in schools.
5. HEALTH EQUITY
“We cannot eliminate unconscious biases, but we can improve the quality of care in healthcare settings. – Emily Moore, Senior Policy Analyst, Voices for Virginia’s Children
Our Impact (areas of victory): Virginia is experiencing significant shortages of health care professionals across all health care settings—from pediatrics and primary care to hospitals. 102 of 133 Virginia counties are federally designated primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), impacting 29% of Virginians. To address these needs, the General Assembly took several measures to support building a more diverse health care workforce, including legislation to provide private health insurance coverage for doula services, legislation permitting a two-year provisional license to a physician who was previously licensed in another country, and budgetary funding to support Community Health Workers who work in local health districts.
Continuing the Fight (areas we are working towards or will revisit next session): While we made significant progress during the 2024 legislative session on Cover All Kids, a bill to provide comprehensive health care coverage to all children in Virginia regardless of immigration status, the bill unfortunately did not pass the legislature and was not included in the budget. We will continue working alongside our partners in the Healthcare for All Virginians Coalition to ensure all children in Virginia have access to affordable, comprehensive health care coverage.
ADVOCACY & ENGAGEMENT
Voices worked collaboratively with our organizational partners in co-leading and supporting several advocacy days during the 2024 Legislative Session. Voices engaged with partners and the community to uplift the critical areas of mental health, healing for those who provide care, services and direct support, and funding deficits in the Virginia secondary education system.
MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY DAY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NAMI, VOCAL VIRGINIA, AND MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA OF VIRGINIA
Voices supported planning, facilitating, and leading the virtual component of the advocacy day so that advocates from across Virginia were able to participate without traveling to Richmond. Ahead of the advocacy day, Voices supported with additional training to prepare advocates.
HEALING FOR THE HEALERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDSAVERS
Voices developed plans, strategy, outreach, recruitment, and event details with Alex Gúzman from ChildSavers. For our second time co-hosting this event, we prioritized leading training and logistics based on feedback from previous attendees and partners. We hosted a hybrid training and community-building event at ChildSavers the Monday evening prior. During the advocacy day, advocates collectively met with 16 legislative offices focusing on advocating for school-based mental health, increased funding and resources for crisis mental health, and increasing the mental and behavioral health workforce in response to Virginia’s current youth mental health crisis.
FUND OUR SCHOOLS COALITION LOBBY DAY & RALLY
Representing Voices on the FOS Basebuilding Committee, Voices supported developing and presenting multiple advocacy trainings and connected the FOS Coalition to youth advocates to speak at the event’s rally. The advocacy day turnout was massive, with many students, educators, and school administrators in attendance. Voices also stewarded Pretty Purposed, a local nonprofit focusing on mentorship and enrichment programming for young girls of color in Petersburg, Sussex, Dinwiddie and Hopewell, throughout the day, for our third year in a row of partnering and supporting their engagement with state-level advocacy.
VOICES STAFF ALSO ATTENDED THESE ADDITIONAL ADVOCACY DAYS HOSTED BY OUR PARTNERS:
• Virginia Promise Partnership Advocacy Day (advocacy on early care and education)
• HAV Day of Action (advocacy for healthcare for all Virginians)
• Foster Care Advocacy Day by Children’s Home Society
• Equality Virginia Lobby Day (advocacy on policy to support and protect LGBTQ+ youth)
Photo Caption: L-R: Delegate Cherry, Stephen (NAMI-VA), Maggie (NAMI-VA), Maria (Mental Health Advocate), Lauren (Mental Health Advocate), Cat (Voices for Virginia’s Children)
DONOR LISTING
Each gift received in the 2024 fiscal year enabled the Voices team to further advocate for young people, conduct vital research, and educate the public. Thanks to you, the 2.6 million young people living in our Commonwealth will continue to be put first in the push for equitable and just policies statewide.
LPL Financial
Progressive Insurance Foundation
Virginia Business Systems
Cava Capital, LLC
Jeffrey & Theresa Aaron
Stacy Hawkins Adams
General Clara Adams-Ender
Centene Corporation
Elisa Alvarez
Carin Aquiline
Edgar Aranda-Yanoc
The Meyer Foundation
Atlantic Union Bank
Susan and Doug Atkinson
Christine Aube
Nancy Ault
Sentara Healthcare
Barbara Barrett
Mrs. I. Lindley Beck
Juan Pablo Berrizbeitia
April Bolden
Fidelity National Title Insurance Co.
Ms. Kristin Bolton
Dr. and Mrs. E.J. Bowen
Kayla Bravo
Perry Brody
Ms. Allison Brody and Mr. Peter Jones
Susann Brown
Maya Brown
Ms. Deana Buck
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond
Devon Cabot
Brian Cahill
Denise Carl
Betsy Carr
Ms. Tara Casey and Dr. Alan Dow
Mr. J. P. Causey Jr
Mrs. Mary Cawthorne
Sheila and Steve Chandler
The Robins Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Chinn
Cyrillene Clark
Drs. C.C. and Kevin Clark
Eric Clay
Bon Secours Health System
LawrenceQueen
Myles Cobb
Ms. Judith Cossitt
Sarah Craig
Ralph R. Crosby Jr
Mr. Bruce Cruser
Ms. Laura Cummings
Deborah Danker
Willow Darsie
Larry Davidson
WTVR-TV
Ms. Kimberly Dean-Anderson
Rachael Deane
Ms. Kathleen Desmond
Courtney Dozier
Mr. and Mrs. James Duty
Successful Innovations, Inc.
Dr. Dan Edwards
Nancy Edwards
Darla Edwards
Eileen Ellsworth
Ellen and Fred Elsas
Ms. Kelly Evans
David Fenton
Paloma Ferraz
Thomas Fitzpatrick
Ms. Laurie Flynn
Mr. and Mrs. J. Carter Fox
Mrs. Margaret Freeman
Mr. and Mrs. Gentry
Mrs. and Mr. Allison Gilbreath
Ivy Goldstein
Richmond Memorial Health Foundation
Dr. Joann and Mr. Phil Grayson and Mr. Phil Grayson and Joann
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Griffey
Diane Griffiths
Say Hello Threads
Ms. and Ms. Martha Estes Grover
Karah and Geoff Gunther
Dr. William Habeeb
Two Capitols Consulting
Virginia Health Care Association
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Harmata
Tracey Harp
Jeanine Harper
Claude Moore Charitable Foundation
Megan Healy
Gerald and Marie Helm
Alex Hendrickson
Ms. Ann Hess and Dr. John L. Hess
Mason Hirst Foundation
Dana Hoeck
Bret Hoffman
Miranda Hope
Ms. Margaret Hu
Victoria Huckestein
Cat Hulburt
Kyleigh Hynes
Todd and Jane Ihrig
Holly Ivel
Mr. Russell James and Dr. Brenda Tanner
Nina P Janopaul
South State Bank
William Jones
Virginia Association for Family Preservation
The Honorable Timothy Kaine
The Honorable Anne B. Holton
Ms. Karen Kallay
Dr. Leslie Kaplan and Dr. William Owings
Dustin Keith
The Commonwealth Institute
Rebecca Kilpatrick
Arthur Kim
Karen Kimsey
Ms. Nancy Kincaid
Rose Kinder
Mrs. Patte Koval
Sarah and Henry Krakauer
Barbara Leary Jones
Tony Lee
Nita Lescher
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Potomac Health Foundation
Valerie Liggins
Washington Area Women’s Foundation
Amanda Long Alfonso Lopez
Mr. E. Jeffreys Love
Mrs. Mary Fran Lowe
Christopher Lumpkin
Diana Lupe
Ms. Lisa Macey
Mr. and Mrs. Cedric Mann
Joan Marable
Weldon Martin
Megan and Chib Mbagwu
Julie E. McConnell and Gerald T. Zerkin
Bertra McGann
Stuart McLean
Charles McLean
Sarah and Grey McLean Fund
Adiuvans Foundation
Caryn Mee
Dr. Frances Meyer and Mr. Stephen L. Meyer
Ms. A. Phoebe Meyer
Allan Meyers
Delie Minaie
Amanda Mitchell
Ms. Sharon Monde
Ashley Moore
Grant and AnneMarie Neely
LoveStoryArt
The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Oklewicz
Dudley and Elis Olsson
Ms. Janet Osborn
Ms. Deborah Oswalt and Mr. Mark Rubin
Hopewell Fund
Ms. Ruth Anne Paisley
Jared Parker
Carol Parker
Gail Perruso
Virginia Education Association
Mr. Anthony Pineau and Mr. John Seay
Bridget Plank
Ms. Lenore Plissner
Kenneth and Jane Plum
Nicole Poulin
Jordan Powell
Mr. John Purnell Jr and Dr. Joyce O. Beckett
Elevance Health, Inc.
Dr. Patricia Reams
Alison Reed
Dr. and Mrs. Laurie Rennie
Cory Richardson-Lauve
Alexis Riddick
David Rivera
Mr. and Mrs. William Roberts Jr
William Robinson and Christina Kilby
Ivakota Association
Stephanie Rowley
Mike and Camille Royster
Mike Royster
Shannon Rudisill
Williamsburg Health Foundation
Jacqueline Santiago
Neel and Marian Saxena
Janet Scagnelli
Schaberg Foundation
Arthur Schmidt
Ms. Johanna Schuchert
Angela Self
Ms. Hannah Senft
Ms. Joyce Shields
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Shimer
E. Lee Showalter
Ms. Mira Signer and Ms. Abigail D. Kinnebrew
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Slesinger
Luisa Soaterna-Castañeda
Lisa Specter-Dunaway
Alliance for Early Success
Sarah Steely
Ms. and Mr. Eugene Steuerle
Dr. and Mrs. Don Switz
Leah Tarbell
James Taylor
Eva Teig Hardy and Michael Hardy
Zoe Thomas
Ms. Terry Thompson
Linda Tissiere
Ms. Beth Tolley
The Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond
Ruth Turner
Ms. Mary Ellen Verdu
Sumeet Vij
Mrs. Darlene Walker
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wallmeyer
Yolanda Ward
William Webb
Kathleen Webb
Isha Weerasinghe
Sheila Weiss
Cyndy Weldon-Lassiter
Jenna White
Ms. Bonnie Williams
Untouchable Mindset
Tommy Wright
Ms. Tracey Wright
Donna Yenney
Elizabeth Yoder
P3Hired
Cassandra Zawilski
Sarah Zevin
Leah Birk
Rebecca Bowers-Lanier
VOICES FOR VIRGINIA’S CHILDREN: CORE STAFF
Rachael Deane Chief Executive Officer
Chiereme Fortune Director of Communications
Megan Mbagwu Director of Operations
Emily Moore Senior Policy Analyst
Allison Gilbreath Senior Director of Policy and Programs
Cat Atkinson Policy Analyst
Joy Rush Director of Development
Sophia Booker Advocacy and Engagement Manager
VOICES FOR VIRGINIA’S CHILDREN: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Cyrillene Clark, Ph.D. (Chair) Arlington, Va.
Cat Hulbert (Vice Chair) Richmond, Va.
Eric Clay (Secretary) Richmond, Va.
Chuck McLean (Treasurer) Yorktown, VA.
Lindley Beck Midlothian, Va.
Juan Pablo Berrizbeitia Staunton, Va.
Allison Brody Williamsburg, Va.
Adrienne Cole Johnson Richmond, Va.
Rachel Fried Richmond, Va.
Megan Healy Richmond, Va.
Diana Lupe Fredericksburg, Va.
Mike Royster Midlothian, Va.
Neel Saxena Arlington, Va.
Luisa Soaterna-Castañeda Haymarket, Va.
Darlene Walker Hampton, Va.
Tracey Wright Lebanon, Va.
