Voices' History

Voices for Virginia’s Children (Voices), a member of Voices for America’s Children, is a statewide multi-issue children’s policy research and advocacy organization, established in 1994. Voices champions public policies that improve the lives of children in Virginia. We employ many policy influence strategies including: analyzing and disseminating policy research findings; education and communications to raise public awareness; coalition development and grassroots organizing; policy analysis and development; legislative and policy maker education and advocacy; and education of electoral candidates.

The Northern Virginia office was established in March, 2006 to focus on the particular concerns of children in Northern Virginia, to highlight those needs to a statewide audience, and to increase the influence of Northern Virginia stakeholders advocating for the needs of their region’s children and families.

Voices works to ensure that policymakers understand and respond to the needs of the Commonwealth’s children. Utilizing KIDS COUNT data, policy expertise, strategic advocacy, and multiple communications approaches including the media, Voices will continue to communicate those needs and potential solutions so that:

• More at-risk children will have access to preschool.
• More youth in foster care will have permanent family connections.
• More low-income working families will have access to quality, reliable child care.
• Children in immigrant families will have access to the services and supports they need to succeed.
• NoVA stakeholders and advocates will have the data, expert analyses and policy options they need to champion initiatives that benefit the region’s children.