Program Types

Font Size: + -

High quality early childhood care and education has a great effect on the lives of children and their families. The Virginia Department of Education works with all of the Commonwealth’s birth-to-five early childhood care and education and out-of-school time providers to support quality experiences for Virginia’s children.

Child day programs are defined as regularly operating service arrangement for children where, during the absence of a parent or guardian, a person or organization has agreed to assume responsibility for the supervision, protection and well-being of a child under the age of 13 years for less than a 24-hour period.

Child day centers provide care for (i) two or more children under the age of 13 years in a facility that is not the residence of the provider or of any of the children in care or (ii) 13 or more children at any location.

Family day-homes provide care in the residence of the provider or the home of any of the children in care for up to 12 children under the age of 13 years, not including the provider's own children and any children who reside in the home, when at least one child receives care for compensation.

The following center-based and home-based program types will find information to support their operations on this site:

For information on Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI), Early Childhood Special Education, or Head Start/Early Head Start, visit the Virginia Department of Education Early Childhood Care & Education website.