Have you ever thought to yourself, how exactly does Virginia invest in children, but then gotten stuck on trying to find the answer? If the answer is yes, that’s because our commonwealth has at least 10 service categories and dozens of funding streams that go toward supporting children. From health, to education, to workforce development, agencies across Virginia play a hand in trying to ensure that children live healthy, supported lives. These funding streams often overlap or support one another in various ways, and trying to figure it out is plain complicated.

That’s why this new, interactive fiscal map of children’s supports in Virginia, created by Amelia Thomas, is so astounding. Amelia, an intern for the Virginia Governor’s Children’s Cabinet and VCU master of public health candidate, has put together one of the most accurate and comprehensive fiscal maps I’ve ever seen.

What’s even better than the data itself is how the user can interact with the information. Easily readable and visually appealing, the map is broken out by funding stream, funding source, agency, and other ways that enable a user to take a deep dive into how Virginia invests in children. It’s a resource that individuals, organizations, and advocates can all use to better grasp what we currently do for children and what still needs to be done.

Take a look at this amazing source of data and information. You won’t regret it.

Report on the 2017-2018 Fiscal Map of Children’s Supports

Interactive data portal for the fiscal map

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