The Family Development Center in Warsaw conducts the 46-lesson Al's Pal's interactive curriculum with their 3 and 4 year olds with funds through the RVUC mini-grant program. For information, please call Nancy Taliaferro, Director at 804-333-5272 or stop by the daycare located at 102 Walnut Street.  This project is sponsored by the Rural Virginia United Coalition and is fiscally managed by the Middle Peninsula-Northern Neck Community Services Board. This program is funded by a federal grant through the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).

The Al’s Pal’s program offers a systematic approach to teach children social and emotional skills.  Children learn to express their feelings appropriately, care about others, make and keep friends, stop and think, maintain self-control, accept differences, solve problems peacefully, use kind words, keep themselves safe and healthy, and understand that tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs are not for children.  Research conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University shows that children who received Al's Pal's made significant gains in positive social skills. For more information about the 'Al's Pal's: Kids Making Healthy Choices', log onto www.wingspanworks.com.