Affirming a person’s gender identity, sexuality, pronouns, and humanity are life-saving actions. According to data from the Trevor Project, LGBTQIA+ youth with access to at least one affirming space were 35% less likely to report a...
There is a critical shortage of behavioral mental health professionals throughout the country, and kids in need of trauma counseling are feeling the impact of this shortage most acutely. The need for counseling services has...
Pandemic parenting is unlike regular parenting. We are hearing from many families about how hard it is to be isolated together, now that we are almost two months into quarantine. There continues to be grief...
ReadyKids is thrilled to announce that one of our social workers is the recipient of the 2020 National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Virginia Social Worker of the Year Award. Dave Lewis, who has been a...
Every family has strengths, and every family faces challenges. When you are under stress — the car breaks down, you or your partner lose a job, a child’s behavior is difficult, or even when the...
In the last two years, the ReadyKids Teen Counseling Program has seen an increase in participants who identify as transgender. Someone who is transgender has a sense of personal identity and gender that does not...
Meet Kayla By the time Kayla* came to ReadyKids, shortly after her fourth birthday, she had lived in three different foster homes, experienced chronic homelessness, substance abuse exposure, neglect and suspected sexual abuse. At ReadyKids, Kayla met...
We're smiling bashfully from ear to ear. We've gotten a lot of positive attention lately! Everyone at ReadyKids is passionate about the work they do, and we're so glad our work contributes positively to our...
ReadyKids Teen Counselors, Jordan Leahy and Dee Keller. They ran away from home. The Virginia State Police reports that 74 juveniles were arrested within the city of Charlottesville during 2015 for running away from home. The word...
It's been a rough 10 days for Charlottesville. If you're swinging from anger to fear to depression - you're not alone. These are common responses to grief. ReadyKids is here to provide hope and healing for children and...