The VCC Migrant Ministry
Virginia Council of Churches

The Virginia Council of Churches began its Migrant Ministry in the 1950s through the vision and leadership of Rev. Myron Miller, a Church of the Brethren minister. While the demographics of migrant workers have shifted, from an African American migrant worker population in the 50s to a largely Hispanic population today, the nature of the ministry remains much the same. The VCC Migrant Ministry pays special attention to the children of migrant workers, and at the same time addresses the needs of the entire family for such things as health care, wage protection, child care and education.

The original migrant ministry also emphasized care for the children of migrant workers, providing child care while workers were in the field. At that time, the child care was offered on a shoestring budget mostly funded by donations from churches. In the mid-1970s, the Head Start program initiated a special focus on the migrant child and resources became more available. Facilities were built and programs were enhanced. Today the VCC Migrant Ministry serves 300 children in licensed facilities using the comprehensive Head Start child development model. The ministry operates three centers on the Eastern Shore and one in Winchester.

At these centers, meetings are held regularly for the parents of the children enrolled in the Head Start program. The meetings provide information and education to help with child rearing in the migrant worker setting. Speakers are often invited to address immigration issues, concerns of the workers, and to provide information about other services that may be available to the workers. Often the migrant workers first aspiration is for their children to learn English, so the centers emphasize second language acquisition for the children, as well as ESL classes for the parents.  The VCC Migrant Ministry works closely with the Catholic Migrant Ministry which has a full-time staff. Together the ministries offer visits with workers and their families, soccer programs, Spanish language radio programs, and information services.

Migrant farmworker life is still hard and harsh. Nearly ten thousand migrants will provide labor that is critical to the cultivation and harvesting of fruits, vegetables and tobacco in Virginia. Migrant families are especially present on the Eastern Shore, in the Northern Neck, in the upper Shenandoah Valley, and throughout the tobacco belt along Virginia’s border with North Carolina. Today’s migrant workers are primarily from Mexico and Central America with a few from Jamaica or Haiti. It is estimated that 60% of the workers are undocumented. The migrant worker season extends from April to November, however, more and more families are trying to eek out a living in the winter months. Some are finding work at nurseries, the Christmas tree industry, or in poultry processing.

Undocumented migrant workers are not eligible for Medicaid. Those who are eligible move from state to state so frequently that they cannot maintain their coverage. VCC Migrant Ministry has actively advocated for increased reciprocity between states so that migrant worker benefits can remain continuous. The Governor of Virginia appointed a state board to address issues affecting migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their employers. Rick Cagan, Executive Director of Rural Family Development, an agency of VCC, is pleased to sit on that board in order to verbalize the many concerns of migrant workers. The VCC is proud of its history of working on the Eastern Shore and its commitment to migrant workers, all of which would not be possible without the support of many churches and organizations as well as federal Head Start funding.

Contact point:

Rick Cagan, Executive Director
Rural Family Development
Virginia Council of Churches
1214 W. Graham Road, Suite 3
Richmond, VA   23220-1409

Phone 804-321-3300, ext 108
Fax 804-329-5066
E-mail  cagan@vcc-net.org