Voices for Virginia’s Children champions public policies and legislation that achieve positive and equitable outcomes for young people.
Founded in 1994, Voices for Virginia’s Children is the commonwealth’s only independent, multi-issue child policy and advocacy organization. We are home to the KIDS COUNT data center for Virginia, which includes more than 200 state- and locality-level indicators on child well-being over time. Using this data and our independent policy research, we determine unmet needs and threats to child well-being, recommend sound policy solutions, provide objective input to policymakers, and educate and mobilize leaders and concerned citizens to support policy initiatives.
We are particularly focused on children whose needs are often overlooked, concentrating our efforts on policies in the areas of early childhood, foster care and adoption, health and mental health, and family economic security.
The impact of our work is felt by children, youth, and families throughout Virginia.
We Make a Difference
- Thousands of disadvantaged four-year-olds have access to pre-K, and legislative support for the Virginia Preschool Initiative has grown.
- More children from low-income families have access to appropriate child care, allowing their parents to remain in the workforce and on the path to self-sufficiency.
- Children and youth with serious mental health disorders have better access to treatment.
- Thousands of children in foster care have a better chance to establish permanent family ties and transition to productive adulthood.
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.
Mission
Voices for Virginia’s Children champions public policies and legislation that achieve positive and equitable outcomes for young people.
Theory of Change
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.
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.
Financial Accountability
Voices is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Here is our most recent Form 990 (pdf).
View our 2022 Impact Report: Voices for Virginia’s Future