The Whole Family Foundation VA

10/12/2026

We hope to see you on the 24th from 1:30 to 4:30 PM at Mobility Works!

Kids with disabilities and their families have a Halloween event designed just for them coming up this month.

10/12/2026

Come see us & all the other amazing resources on 10/24 ! 🎉🖤🎃 Its fun for the Whole Family!

https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/trunk-or-treat-disabilities-oct-12-2026?fbclid=IwZnRzaAU6I7BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mBWZkaWQWUQJ7jJw-29d8t3Qq1BrNPKx7a9nCz3NydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5mx99ljuHUVH7KBA9gn1rxIE9428QKqMs3pFZuDAud3-1ThnHeBV-V6PhjVA_aem_P-H--bASly9UJDfmKyKZJQ

Kids with disabilities and their families have a Halloween event designed just for them coming up this month.

09/11/2026

What Happens to Your Loved One Long After You're Gone?

Most financial planning is built for retirement. Special needs families need something built for a lifetime - theirs and their loved one's. Join Special Needs Planning for a free virtual event designed to show you the most common pitfalls in special needs planning and how to make sure your family’s plan is solid. Registration link in comments!

09/06/2026

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is currently accepting applications for ACE-IT in College, an accredited inclusive college education program (IPSE) designed for students with intellectual disability.

This college program supports students in taking VCU courses aligned with their career goals, engaging in paid campus jobs, and completing community internships—all while receiving personalized support from advisors, coaches, and peer mentors to develop essential life and career skills.

ACE-IT students earn a recognized Certificate of Completion from the VCU School of Education and are prepared for competitive, integrated employment in their chosen fields.

With a 90% employment rate for graduates, ACE-IT transforms students' lives by providing pathways to meaningful careers.

Applications are due by March 1, 2027. For more information, visit aceitincollege.vcu.edu/apply/apply-now/.

📣📣📣Program eligibility update! Beginning in 2025, ACE-IT removed the diploma-type requirement for admission eligibility. Students may now apply as long as they have completed high school. All other eligibility and interview requirements remain unchanged. This change allows ACE-IT to align with statewide and national trends and increases opportunities for students to access college.

09/05/2026

Check this out!

We are thrilled to share the launch of our 2026 initiative, Your Voice, Your Choice! This campaign is all about empowering individuals with developmental disabilities to take an active role in choosing their service providers and expressing the supports they want and need. Our focus is on strengthening self-advocacy, elevating personal choice, and ensuring that every person we serve feels respected, heard, and included in their own planning.

A part of this initiative also involves helping providers improve communication and accessibility. We are encouraging the use of plain language materials, multiple formats, and supports such as ASL interpretation, braille, bilingual materials, and other accommodations. Clear, accessible communication is essential for people to make informed decisions—and that’s at the heart of this campaign.

As part of Your Voice, Your Choice, we will offer several seminars, including:
• A self advocacy session presented by an individual we serve and his mother
• A plain language workshop for providers by Linh Nguyen (Virginia Board for People with Disabilities)
• Information sessions on waiver services and Medicaid presented by Nicole Destafano (DBHDS) and Jason Perkins (DMAS)

We will wrap up the campaign with a provider fair, giving individuals and families the opportunity to meet providers directly and learn about available service options.

07/22/2026

The Children’s Hospital Cafeteria (located in the Children’s Tower) is now offering after-hours meals and snacks for patient families and team members, delivered right to your floor! Order between 7 – 9 p.m. via the Instaeat app or website: https://bit.ly/4fNIOL8

06/29/2026

An event for those sensitive to the noise of traditional fireworks: enjoy fireworks shown on the big screen with no sound at the Silent Firework Festival at Beulah Recreation Center on Thursday, July 2, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Activities include glitter tattoos, sensory sand and water tables, Kona Ice, and music. This event is free.

Registration is required: https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/chesterfieldparksrec/activity/search/detail/26080?onlineSiteId=0

06/27/2026

Love it!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXl5_DPjJJT/?igsh=b2EwaGQ1bnVpaHN6

06/25/2026

Strategies for Selective Eaters 🍽️
Free Virtual Class by Virginia Cooperative Extension Loudoun

Join this class to learn how to navigate sensory issues and selective eating by children and expand their food acceptance.

Two class options to choose from:
📅 Monday, July 6th, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM
📅 Wednesday, July 8th, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM

Register ⬇️
https://forms.office.com/g/cdpvXHU7Td

**This class is open to anyone across Virginia.

Questions? Contact Emily Jacobs at 571-680-9610 or
[email protected]

06/17/2026

"I would love a free afternoon at the pool, but...."

"Saturday afternoon? Um... I not sure...."

Would you like to get a break and enjoy a couple hours away from caregiving? They understand! Caregivers from "Hidden Pearls" -- held at Grace Communion Hanover -- are offering FREE respite care for children ages 5 to 21 with intellectual and developmental disabilities THIS SATURDAY, June 20th, from 1-4 PM. The program is offered every 3rd Saturday of the month.

Program volunteers are trained and have background checks. The originators, who have an adult child with a disability, are part of the Hanover Community Collaborative -- organizations partnering with The Arc of Hanover to collaborate on meeting more needs of self-advocates with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in Hanover County.

STILL TIME TO REGISTER, and it's required to attend. To register, please call 585-520-1236 or 585-520-1237.



Grace Communion Hanover