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DEPARTMENT of FAMILY SERVICES |
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 Welcome to the Department of Family Services' Community Corner. Our weekly newsletter, updated each Wednesday, provides information about upcoming events, parenting and wellness tips, programs and services, and more! Share these helpful posts with your family and friends.
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May is Older Americans Month and Adult Abuse Prevention Month
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors issued a proclamation recognizing May as Older Americans Month and Adult Abuse Prevention Month. This month, we celebrate the contributions of older adults and reaffirm our commitment to serving them. The 2025 theme, "Flip the Script on Aging,” encourages us to challenge outdated stereotypes and embrace the many opportunities that come with aging. We also recognize Adult Abuse Prevention Month and encourage everyone to help keep vulnerable adults safe. Adult Protective Services investigates reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an adult. Learn more.
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Celebrating Our Foster Parents for Their Years of Support!
It’s Foster Care Month, the time of year when we say “THANK YOU!” to the foster parents who have reached important milestones with our program! Each year we recognize those who have served as foster parents for a notable length of time. This year we are celebrating the 10 foster homes that have reached the milestone of 5 or 10 years of service. Thank you all for your service! Learn more.
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Support the DFS Pet Supply Drive!
Sometimes people feel they have to surrender their pets because they can't afford food and supplies for them. DFS cares about every family member, including pets, so we are sponsoring a pet supply drive May 11-24 to collect donations for Fairfax County Animal Shelter’s Pet Pantry. Learn more, including donation locations and accepted items.
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Employer Engagement: Support for Your Business
Did you know that DFS Employment Services has an Employer Engagement Team? Our Employer Engagement programs support hiring and retention for your business by matching our wide pool of job seekers with your hiring opportunities. Our services are free and can help you save money on recruitment and wages. Learn more about what we offer and how to start working with Employer Engagement today.
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May Is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. Though data collection about gender-based violence among Asian Americans is scarce, we do know no one is immune to this public health issue. Existing research estimates that as high as 55% of AAPI women in this country have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. Find out what current and historical activists have done to support survivors. |
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Volunteer Solutions Celebrates Volunteers at Luncheon
Dozens of dedicated volunteers were honored on April 26 at an uplifting lunch celebration as part of National Volunteer Week. The volunteers help older adults, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers in various ways, including providing transportation for groceries, social visits, supporting activities at senior centers and adult day health care centers, educating community members and much more! Three volunteers and a community partner were recognized with Star Awards for their commitment to volunteering and making a difference. Last year, 1,192 volunteers donated 26,990 hours of service in the community! Learn more.
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SNAP Scams: How to Protect Your Money
Scammers are targeting the EBT cards used by SNAP recipients to purchase essential groceries. There are a few simple steps SNAP recipients can take to protect their funds and reduce the chance that scammers can steal their money. The newest feature is the ability to lock and unlock an EBT card through the ConnectEBT app. Many SNAP recipients can keep their card locked until it’s time to use it to make a purchase, and lock it immediately after the purchase is completed. Learn more simple ways to stay safe and what to look out for with EBT Scams.
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New Video: Foster Care Month Recognition
This month, we are hosting several events to raise our awareness of foster care. Check out this video to see community members, social workers, community partners, come together with county officials including Fairfax County Supervisor Dan Storck to present the official Board of Supervisor’s proclamation of May as Foster Care Month. Join us Tuesday, May 20 for another community event at Burke Centre Library and find out other ways to get involved.
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Need Support Because You’ve Been Impacted by Interpersonal Violence?
Domestic and Sexual Violence Services has six walk-in locations across the county staffed with trained advocates. Find the site closest to you. Learn the many ways our advocates support survivors or call the Fairfax County Domestic and Sexual Violence 24-Hour Hotline at 703-360-7273. |
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Friday, May 9 – Northern Virginia Regional Job Fair
Virginia Career Works Northern is bringing together employers from across Northern Virginia for a career fair on Friday, May 9, 2025, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035).
Learn more about this event designed to connect local employers with a diverse pool of professional job seekers – that’s you!
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Friday, May 9 – Journaling for Caregiver Well-Being Webinar
Join Certified Journal Therapist Deborah Ross, LPC, who will introduce best practices for journaling, dispel some myths and suggest tips, tools, and strategies so that your journal is a supportive companion on your caregiving journey. Decades of research have established journaling as a significant tool to lower stress and enhance wellbeing. But for the best outcome, it matters greatly how one writes. Please have some writing tools with you along with your curiosity, and you'll learn how much support is available from the page. No prior journaling experience is necessary. This workshop will meet online on May 9 from 12-1 p.m. and is hosted by the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging. Register to receive access instructions.
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Tuesday, May. 13 – Free Virtual Parent Café: Parenting in the Hispanic Culture
The next free Virtual Parent Café will be held Tuesday, May. 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m. to discuss Parenting in the Hispanic Culture. The facilitators will lead an open discussion in Spanish about the cross-cultural challenges many parents face when raising their children in a diverse environment. The discussion will explore the common issue of trying to instill respect for Hispanic culture and values while balancing conflicting cultural influences that children encounter through media, peers, etc. Any Fairfax County parents or guardians with children ages 0-18 years old can join in through MS Teams at https://bit.ly/4i6cQc1 and use passcode: h5Jy6ng3. For more information or to preregister, email or call 703-324-7720.
El próximo Café Virtual para Padres gratuito será el martes 13 de mayo, de 6:30 a 8 p. m., para hablar sobre la crianza de los hijos en la cultura hispana. Los facilitadores dirigirán una discusión abierta sobre los desafíos interculturales que enfrentan muchos padres al criar a sus hijos en un entorno diverso. La discusión explorará el problema común de tratar de inculcar el respeto por la cultura y los valores hispanos mientras se equilibran las influencias culturales conflictivas que los niños encuentran a través de los medios de comunicación, los compañeros, etc. Puede unirse en línea a través de Microsoft Teams at https://bit.ly/4i6cQc1, Contraseña: h5Jy6ng3. Para obtener más información, póngase en contacto con, BuildingStrongerFamilies@FairfaxCounty.gov o llame al 703-324-7720.
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 Access Fairfax is a twice monthly newsletter sharing news, resources, and events for people with disabilities in Fairfax County.
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 Our weekly Career Resources Newsletter includes information on job leads, upcoming webinars and employment events.
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 Our monthly Foster Family Newsletter shares resources and experiences relevant to foster and adoptive parents, children in care, and the resource workers who support them.
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 The quarterly newsletter The Update covers helpful information and topics for persons receiving long-term care services and their caregivers.
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 Our Volunteer Post Newsletter provides a glimpse into the many ways to get involved in making a difference and supporting families in our community.
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 Please follow us on Facebook at Fairfax County Department of Family Services for news, events, tips, stories and training opportunities. We support families and county residents of all ages and stages of life. Join our community and engage with us through social media!
Join Us! Learn about career and volunteer opportunities in the Department of Family Services.
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The Department of Family Services (DFS) envisions a community where everyone lives their success story and thrives. DFS strengthens the well-being of our diverse community by protecting and improving the lives of all children, adults, and families through assistance, partnership, advocacy, outreach, and quality services.
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