Virginia Credit Union Donates $150,000 to ChildSavers to Support Mental Health Services and Childcare Training

Virginia Credit Union has donated $150,000 to ChildSavers, a Richmond-based organization dedicated to healing childhood trauma, providing critical mental health services for children, and offering early childhood education programs.

The donation supports ChildSavers' comprehensive approach to helping children overcome trauma. The organization provides mental health services to children who have experienced loss, abuse, trauma, or other mental health concerns — regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay. ChildSavers also supports, educates, and trains childcare providers to deliver high-quality, trauma-informed, and developmentally appropriate care.

"Supporting organizations that protect and promote the well-being of children is a core focus of Virginia Credit Union's community engagement and charitable giving," said VACU President/CEO Chris Shockley. "This donation recognizes the essential services ChildSavers is providing to help our community’s most vulnerable children heal from trauma and access the care and support they need to recover and thrive.”

ChildSavers’ work impacts more than 30,000 children across 76 Virginia localities. In 2025, the organization provided training for 5,700 childcare providers, offered 7,000 hours of coaching and technical assistance, and supported 37 childcare centers and 152 family day home providers. ChildSavers also provides mental health counseling through partnerships with more than two dozen public schools throughout the Greater Richmond area.

ChildSavers' early childhood education initiatives play a critical role in strengthening Virginia's childcare workforce. Through professional development and training programs, the organization helps childcare providers and educators recognize signs of trauma, implement trauma-informed practices, and create safe, supportive environments where all children can learn and grow.

"ChildSavers is pleased to partner with VACU to help address the social and emotional well-being of children at two of life's most critical moments — the early years of birth to age five, when children's learning is happening at its most rapid rate, and throughout their childhood as kids face mental health challenges because of significant trauma,” said ChildSavers CEO L. Robert Bolling. “VACU’s and ChildSavers’ missions align, and this partnership will ensure that more kids in Greater Richmond and across Virginia can thrive because they are safe, happy, healthy, and ready to learn."

These mental health services include individual therapy, family therapy, and specialized trauma treatment programs designed to help children build resiliency and lifelong coping mechanisms after adverse childhood experiences. The organization's early childhood education initiatives provide training, consultation, and resources to childcare providers throughout the state, improving the quality of care for thousands of young children.

Children's health and wellness is one of four key pillars guiding Virginia Credit Union's community engagement efforts, alongside financial education, food security, and community well-being. The credit union's support for organizations such as ChildSavers reflects its commitment to creating stronger, healthier communities where all children have the opportunity to thrive.

In 2025, Virginia Credit Union and its Member One division donated nearly $1.5 million to local charities and community organizations, invested $1.3 million in financial education initiatives, and contributed more than 2,100 volunteer hours to support nonprofits and community partners across Virginia.