Series: Social Services under strain
Virginia's decentralized system of social services including child protection and foster care has been scrutinized for nearly 40 years. The system is both a major source of state government spending and a place where decisions made can have generational impacts.
Roanoke Times reporter Alison Graham provides some insight into the DSS Under Strain series, and shares what's in store for the second part of…
A Pittsylvania County supervisor retaliated against the county’s former social services director after she gave a First Amendment-protected sp…
Erika Stinnett shuffled her stack of papers and looked up at the 17-year-old sitting across the table. She asked the girl about her plans for …
Every year, Amy Rice stands at a wooden lectern in front of the Henry County Board of Supervisors and tries to explain the escalating costs of…
With each passing year, public schools place more children in private special education schools where they tend to stay for years — some until they turn 22 and age out of the system.
A new state office is designed to give a voice to Virginia families and social workers who have had nowhere to turn with complaints about thei…
Ashley Sweigart had just finished taking a few Roxicodone pain pills and had sat back to watch TV in her bedroom when she heard a car pull up …
In fiscal year 2019, the CSA program served 15,645 children statewide at a cost of $427 million. In fiscal year 2020, the state served 360 fewer children at a cost of $446 million.
The coronavirus pandemic wouldn’t stop Karen Mason from becoming a foster parent.
The morning the child left, her foster mom picked up a cellphone and started recording. She told the girl to treat the video like a diary.
CHATHAM — Ron Scearce was the newest member of the Pittsylvania County Department of Social Services board when he strolled through the office…
Charlee Marie Faith Ford came into the world struggling to live.
Alison Graham
Alison Graham covers Roanoke County and Salem news. She’s originally from Indianapolis and a graduate of Indiana University.
As featured on
Virginia soon may hire a children’s ombudsman after the General Assembly passed a bill now h…
In a proposed budget for fiscal year 2021, Bedford County budgeted a $2.4 million increase in funding to its Children Services Act (CSA).
Alison Graham will spend a year doing investigative reporting on state and regional social services programs and to continue her award-winning series, “Social Services Under Strain,” which started late last year.
