Communicating positively with young children helps them develop confidence, feelings of self‑worth, and good relationships with others. It also helps make life with young children more pleasant for children and parents.

Child care providers who are good facilitators of the social development of young children also understand the relationship between child care curriculum, care giver demeanor, and discipline in promoting responsibility and a sense of community among young children.

There is a set of principles that characterizes the pattern and process of growth and development. These principles or characteristics describe typical development as a predictable and orderly process; that is, we can predict how most children will develop and that they will develop at the same rate and at about the same time as other children. Although there are individual differences in children’s personalities, activity levels, and timing of developmental milestones, such as ages and stages, the principles and characteristics of development are universal patterns.

As adults, we are usually busy as parents and workers and often feel stressed and experience burn-out at times, but would you ever think that children can experience stress too?

When caregivers are asked to talk about the stress in their lives, they frequently identify their emotions first rather than a specific problem or situation. While recognizing emotions is an important step to maintaining positive emotional health, identifying the situations or events that are problematic is the key to managing stress and preventing caregiver burnout.

Long-distance care may begin slowly with simple tasks such as listening to a problem over the telephone or helping with household chores during a visit. It can also start suddenly in response to a medical crisis. Regardless of how care begins, the role of the long-distance carer is likely to evolve over time as the needs of their loved one change.

When we need assistance, studies suggest there is a pattern to our help-seeking behaviors. For help during short periods of time, we generally turn first to our informal network (spouse and children, followed by friends and neighbors). When help is needed over long periods of time, we tend to turn to a formal network of agencies and organizations for assistance (Suitor and Pillemer, 1990).

This publication provides information about basic concepts and approaches used in making decisions on behalf of others or planning for ones own future needs. Read on to understand important concepts about decision making and strategies, including representative payees, powers of attorney, trusts, and guardianship.

Virginia’s food system directly impacts the survival and viability of farms and farmland; the economic development of rural and urban communities; the care, restoration, and resilience of ecological resources such as local waterways; and critical health issues. We use the language of community, local, and regional food systems to broadly define a complex and interconnected set of systems and pathways that comprise sustainable food production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management to bring about social, economic, and ecological change that benefits all residents.

Preparing to load the yellow bus or power up the laptop? Between schedules, work spaces, routines and adjustments, getting into a rhythm that works for your family can be a huge relief. In this session, our presenter shares ideas that may spark thoughts that you can use in your household.

This video is for adults managing their finances and interested in learning more about COVID-19 related issues regarding financial matters, including mortgages, student loans, and more.

Anyone finding themselves dreading certain conversations? Ever walked away from a discussion wishing you would have said, or not said something? Certainly we all have those opportunities, perhaps at an even greater frequency in our current climate. Join as we discuss ways to have tough conversations, even if we don’t agree on things, in a way that shows both self-respect and respect for others. More COVID-19 resources can be found at COVID-19.

As we move into cooler weather and many continue working and schooling remotely, our physical activity can easily be neglected. We know that movement is important to our overall health and resiliency. Join as we discuss ways to keep moving as part of our overall well-being, even when we spend time at desks and indoors.

Helping Youth PROSPER in Virginia reflects an overview of a Sustainable Communities project by the USDA-National Institute for Food and Agriculture's CYFAR program, The various strategies and activities to bolster the positive development of pre/teen aged youth, such as weekend-long family camp, the youth-adult Strengthening Families Program, campus visits, youth mental health conference, team building and other activities to explore interest and build skills are highlighted.

Learn how to identify, understand, and shrink your stress through use of the five mini-video clips that discuss five area of stress.

Intergenerational programs are most effective when staff members of the adult and child programs collaborate to plan activities. Practically speaking, collaborating takes a concerted effort. Merely setting aside time to discuss plans is a hurdle. Children and adults of different ages have different interests, strengths, and needs. Staff members can review the developmental strengths and needs of children and adults in the program to inform activities for the two age groups. Staff members benefit from their partner’s expertise, which makes planning easier. Participants will benefit from plans that best match their interests and abilities.

Intergenerational programs are most effective when participants are involved in decision-making about the activity and during activities. When activities are offered, adults and children should have the choice of deciding if and how to be involved.

Intergenerational programs are most effective when participants are prepared ahead of time and reflect on activities afterward.

A social history is basically the accounting of an individual’s life — their interests, career, relationships, the ways they have coped, and how they have defined themselves.

Although all children are different, there is a predictable sequence in their development. Age- and role-appropriate educational opportunities are critical to a quality early childhood education program.

The partners in intergenerational programs are the adults and the children. Individually, children may not have developed particular skills in their thinking or motor functioning.

Successful programs carefully design the physical space, the program, and related policies to be flexible.

Intergenerational programs are most effective when facilitators consider the social environment, including the role of staff members.

There is a chance that clients in an intergenerational program will need adaptive equipment. The primary reason to consider adaptive equipment is to remove barriers to participation.

Documentation starts with careful observation, then evolves into a display of learning processes. Documentation has grown in popularity as a way to review children’s work at various stages of completion. Photographs, work samples, transcripts of conversations, and comments accompany the display. This documentation is then shared with parents as well as discussed among teachers.

Infants are naturally curious.

Stress comes in many forms. There are normal and predictable stressors, such as a new job, getting married, or moving.

Life expectancy has increased dramatically in the past 100 years: 1 in every 8 Americans is age 65 or older. For most, this means an increase in the number of healthy years. Chronological age differs from biological age. How will you age? What do you know about care options? Will you be responsible for others as they age?

In 2012, Delegate Delores McQuinn introduced House Joint Resolution 88 and then in 2013 reintroduced House Joint Resolution 646 to request that the Virginia General Assembly review the issue of food deserts in Virginia. The Honorable William Howell, Speaker of the House of Delegates of the Virginia General Assembly, commissioned Alan Grant, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, and Jewel Hairston, dean of the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University, to conduct a study of food deserts in the Commonwealth of Virginia.