Deputy Director for the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, Virginia “Ginger” Pryor, will pay a special visit to Albany State University, Thursday, October 27 to discuss the current state of child welfare in Georgia and career opportunities for students in the social work field.  

Pryor will also meet with ASU Fostering Through College participants. The Fostering Through College initiative is a comprehensive support program that provides peer encouragement to former foster, homeless and orphaned youth. The program, which officially began July 1, is as a connection to resources on ASU’s campus.

Pryor will serve as a guest lecturer at 3:30 p.m. in the Hartnett building, room 111. Following the lecture, Pryor will hold a question and answer session with students.

Pryor has more than 20 years of experience in child welfare and social policy. She was appointed as deputy director in January 2015. She is responsible for providing vision, leadership and strategic direction for state and field operations in child welfare. She is also responsible for leading the child welfare reform effort, the Blueprint for Change, which focuses on three key platforms: A Practice Model, Robust Workforce Development and Constituent Engagement. Most recently, Pryor served as the senior director of strategic consulting with Casey Family Programs in Seattle.