WHEREAS, Virginia social workers selflessly dedicate themselves to the common good and to the promotion of human flourishing out of a genuine desire to make a positive difference in our Commonwealth; and,

WHEREAS, Virginia social workers are often first responders to the human condition, providing crucial support and empathy in times of crisis; and,

WHEREAS, social workers in Virginia are on the front lines of supporting those with mental health challenges including substance abuse, depression and anxiety; and,

WHEREAS, social workers work diligently to serve the elderly, protecting them from challenges that disproportionately affect the elderly population like elder abuse, mental health challenges and identity theft; and, 

WHEREAS, social workers in Virginia consistently protect vulnerable children, work to keep families together, and commit themselves daily to ensuring the health and wellbeing of children and their parents; and,

WHEREAS, data shows that a child with a consistent social worker has a 70% chance of being adopted out of foster care, while a child with more than two social workers over the course of their case has only a 17% chance of being placed in a permanent family; and,

WHEREAS, social work is an honorable and fast-growing profession with potential for growth and professional development; and,

WHEREAS, Virginia has over 12,000 social workers but currently suffers from workforce shortages in the social work field which deeply affects vulnerable populations and creates workload challenges; and,

WHEREAS, numerous Virginia schools offer a bachelor's degree in social work and George Mason University, Norfolk State University, Radford University, and Virginia Commonwealth University offer master’s degrees in social work; and,

WHEREAS, social workers routinely model resilience, caring for others with trauma-informed skills and helping others reach their God-given potential; 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize March 2022 as SOCIAL WORK MONTH in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call on all of our citizens to join in celebrating and supporting the social work profession.