High quality early childhood care and education has a great effect on the lives of children and their families. High quality experiences for children from birth to five should include enriching activities in developmentally appropriate environments, while also providing families with necessary resources and support.

Virginia has many quality options for early childhood care and education for children ages birth-to-five. Depending on the needs of your family, you might consider:

• Child Day Centers and Family Day Homes (see information below) 
• Head Start or Early Head Start Programming
• Other public preschool programs, including Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI), Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), or other programs managed by your local school division.
  
  

Licensed - When you select a licensed care provider in Virginia, you are selecting a qualified professional in the field of early education with a commitment to providing a safe and healthy environment for children by demonstrating compliance with regulations. Licensed child day programs can be offered in a child day center or in a family day home.

Licensed child care programs have an initial inspection and two unannounced inspections per year. Additional inspections are made as a result of violations, allegations and/or complaints. Requirements include background checks, education, training/orientation, and health and safety standards. The number of children allowed in licensed care varies per center or family day home - based on determining factors such as the total square footage in centers and adequate space in homes. The maximum capacity can be identified on the provider’s posted license certificate. Click the program you are interested in for further information.

Center-Based

• Child Day Center
• Short-Term Child Day Center (a child day center that operates less than 12 weeks a year)

Family-Based

• Family Day Home
  
  

Unlicensed (but Regulated) - Some programs offering child day care obtain a general business license to operate from the county within which they do business; however, that license is not the same as a child day care license obtained from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), which holds the child day care provider accountable to the health and safety standards set forth by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Unlicensed (but regulated) child care programs vary in their requirements. These programs are not licensed by VDOE, but do receive oversight in certain areas. For example:

• Voluntarily registered family day homes are required to be inspected prior to certification, and every two years thereafter, to complete background checks and meet certain health and safety standards.
• Religiously exempt child care centers are required to complete background checks and must self-certify prior to beginning operation, and annually thereafter, that the program is in compliance with background checks and health and safety requirements.  Religious exempt centers may receive an annual Code compliance inspection.
• Certified preschools are operated by an accredited private school and are required to complete background checks and must self-certify prior to certification, and annually thereafter, regarding criminal record clearances on all employees, a list of staff qualifications, and health and fire inspection reports.

If the above programs are approved subsidy vendors, annual health and safety inspections are completed. Certified pre-school programs are not inspected by VDOE unless there is a complaint. Click the program you are interested in for further information.

Center-Based

• Religiously Exempt Child Day Centers
• Certified Preschools

Family-Based

• Voluntary Registered
• Family Day System Approved
  
  

Approved

Approved child day care programs are regulated by an entity other than VDOE. These programs include certain northern Virginia localities - Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax who have the authority to approve by local ordinance certain family day homes and child day centers.

Center-Based

• Approved by Local Ordinance
  • Arlington

Family-Based

• Approved by Local Ordinance
  • Alexandria
  • Arlington
  • Fairfax County
  • Norfolk
    
    

Unlicensed and unregistered child day care programs do not have any of the following requirements or safeguards to protect vulnerable children: background checks, training/orientation, or health and safety requirements; and only minimal Code of Virginia requirements apply.

• The Virginia Department of Education does not inspect these programs and often times these programs are unknown to the Department.
• Unlicensed and unregistered centers must meet an exemption in the Code of Virginia in § 22.1-289.030. For example, this program may be an after school program centered around a particular extra-curricular or sports-related activity.

Unlicensed and unregistered family day homes typically known as your family, friend or neighbor provide care in their home or the home of the child, and are limited to caring for  no more than four nonresident children at any given time. They must follow the Code of Virginia requirements in § 22.1-289.041, which prohibit the caregiver from being a sex offender or child abuser, and § 22.1-289.016, which requires the caregiver to provide in writing a notice to the parent stating that their child care program is not regulated by the Department and to refer parents to the Department’s website for information explaining the various types of child care options.

If you suspect that a child day care program is operating illegally, you can file an Online Complaint form or call (833) 778-0204.

Center-Based

• License Exempt Centers

Family-Based

• Family Day Home

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