Chesapeake Thrives highlights childcare and family resources for parents

Chanacy Butler, Coordinator for the Chesapeake Thrives program, told webinar attendees that parents seeking childcare or financial assistance can use several state and local resources. "Childcare VA is a place where you can find high-quality childcare programs," Butler said, and she recommended searching providers by licensing, available services and safety information.

Butler directed families to CommonHelp for information about subsidies, health benefits and SNAP and noted that eligible families can apply for subsidy assistance there. She also recommended Child Care Aware VA as a resource for provider information and safety guidance and described the Chesapeake Resource Guide as a local one-stop directory for services across the Hampton Roads area.

Describing Chesapeake Thrives, Butler said the program is a public–private partnership that connects residents to services across nine priority areas, including early childhood, behavioral health and workforce development. For direct assistance, Butler provided a local phone number: 757-382-2489 and invited families to call for help navigating resources.

After Butler finished, the FACE office closed the webinar, reiterated contact information (FACE@cpschools.com) and noted the session would be recorded and posted to the district’s YouTube channel.