Advocates in Parenting

04/28/2026

Thank you to Dr. Carla Shaffer for sharing her expertise with us today on the important topic of supporting children and teens with their anxiety. The framework and strategies shared were so helpful!

04/20/2026

Join us next Tuesday (in-person or via Zoom) for a wonderful presentation by Dr. Carla Shaffer about supporting children and teens who are experiencing anxiety!

03/11/2026

Such an important article and a quick read too, so be sure to check it out! One take-away that particularly caught our attention was "Foundational relationships: When children have stability in their relationships with attentive caregivers, they grow in an environment rich with beneficial interactions that promote secure attachment and healthy development. When attentive caregiving is absent, or if its presence is unreliable or unpredictable, healthy brain development can be disrupted.
If children face significant instability in other areas of their lives, stable relationships with responsive adults in their home, childcare, school, or other settings can help provide important elements of the safety and security that children need. However, caregivers cannot do it alone—policy and programs that help create stable environments for
young children and caregivers alike are essential for healthy development".

Promoting stability across a young child’s developmental environment offers a vital opportunity to support early development and lifelong health. Strengthening stability in one area—such as housing, caregiver relationships, or financial security—can have a multiplier effect across other parts of a child’s environment.

In the new working paper from the Early Childhood Scientific Council on Equity and the Environment (ECSCEE), learn about the importance of stability in early childhood as well as concrete ways to strengthen it: https://bit.ly/3PbD432

03/09/2026

Happy National Social Work month and thank you for the difference you are making in the world!!! We need you and appreciate you!

02/12/2026

Thank you to Holly Timberline, OTR/L, IMH-E Infant Mental Health Specialist (IMHS), who joined us Tuesday to give her wonderful presentation entitled, "Taming the Tornado: Helping Kids Feel Safe, Seen & Soothed". We all benefitted greatly from her expertise and her accessible delivery of this information!

01/18/2026

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taming-the-tornado-helping-kids-feel-safe-seen-and-soothed-tickets-1916887073839?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Get ready to dive deep into the world of parenting with practical tips and strategies to help kids feel safe, seen, and heard!

11/04/2025

Recently, the concept of mattering—the feeling that we are valued and have value to add to the world—has gained momentum among scientists and practitioners as a key ingredient for well-being. While mattering is important to us all, our sense of whether or not we matter—to our loved ones, our communities, and the world at large—begins in the earliest days of infancy. And, while it’s never too late to build a sense of mattering, by starting early, we can have an outsized positive effect on children’s health and well-being across their lifespan.

To learn more about the importance of mattering in the earliest years and find concrete tips we can all take to help children develop a sense of mattering, see our new paper co-authored with Jennifer B. Wallace: "Mattering in Early Childhood: Building a Strong Foundation for Life"

📚 Read the paper here: https://bit.ly/43bXRaX

11/01/2025

Thank you to Dr. Jeffrey and Amy Olrick for presenting "If You Could See Through My Eyes" at Thursday and Friday's Attachment Conference! We had an informative and restorative training and so appreciate them sharing their expertise and stories with us. Thank you to our conference co-sponsors Shineforth, Regional Post Adoption Consortium Services (RPACS), funded by VDSS, Partners in Parenting, Anthem Healthkeepers Plus, and Worthdays! We hope this becomes an annual training tradition with these amazing community partners! Thank you to all of the parents, caseworkers and other professionals whose attendance and participation made the program possible.

10/20/2025

The upcoming attachment conference is now FREE for families AND professionals! Please share with clients and colleagues.

09/26/2025

Upcoming Attachment Conference - FREE for foster/ adoptive/ and kinship caregivers and reduced rate for foster care caseworkers. Sign up for both dates using QR codes below and please share with friends, clients and colleagues! This will be a great event!

09/03/2025

SAVE THE DATE for this important attachment conference that will be held right here in RVA! This will be free for foster and adoptive families! We are fortunate to be cohosting with so many amazing partners! More information to follow soon with information about how to register.