The following is from the Department of Social Services website as it pertains to day care in Virginia, including the city of Virginia Beach.

       A child day care program in Virginia refers to a 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 for less than a twenty-four-hour period. The broadest categories of care are out-of-home (“Center-Based”) care and in-home or “Family-Based” care in a private home. Those categories can be further broken down into “licensed”, “unlicensed (but regulated)”, and “approved”. Regulated refers to a facility is regulated by the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS). Approved refers to a facility that is regulated by an entity other than VDSS. The chart below allows you to explore the types of child care available, how they are regulated and provide you with related forms and applications.

Here are the main categories that we will discuss throughout the Child Care Virginia Beach website:

Family Day Home
Family day homes provide care for six to 12 children (exclusive of the provider’s own children and any children who reside in the home). The care may be offered for less than 24 hours in the home of the provider or in the home of any of the children in care. Licensure (or voluntary registration) also is required when care is provided to more than four children under two years of age, including the provider’s own children and children who live in the home.

Child Day Center
Child day centers are child day programs offered to (1) 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 (2) 13 or more children at any location. During the absence of a parent or guardian, the operator of the child day center has agreed to assume responsibility for the supervision, protection and well-being of children under the age of 13 years for less than a 24-hour period. By law, a child day center may be granted either a six-month conditional license, a six-month provisional license or a two-year license.

Short-Term Child Day Center
Short-term child day centers are child day centers that operate for part of the year only.

Now, you will notice that the Family Day Home definition says between 6-12 children in the home.  If a day care provider has at least 6 children in their homes they must be licensed: ”The Code of Virginia mandates the licensure of family day homes that provide care for six to twelve children (exclusive of the provider’s own children and any children who reside in the home).”

We understand that not all in home day care providers will have 6 children or more and should not be penalised because they are not “officially” licensed.  However, we do require that all featured child care providers at least be voluntarily registered with the state.  Below is the definition of a child care provider who has voluntarily registered their child care business:

     “Voluntary registration is a form of regulation offered to family day homes that are not required to be licensed. These homes have fewer than 6 children in care not including provider’s own children and any children who reside in the home. Voluntary registration is not available in areas where local ordinances regulate unlicensed providers (Arlington, Fairfax, and Alexandria). The program is administered by four agencies that have contracted with the department to perform this function in a specific area of the state.

A family day home provider who wishes to be registered pays a contracting agency a $50 fee to apply for a two year registration certificate. An applicant for a certificate of registration must have criminal history background checks, child abuse registry clearances, and tuberculosis screenings for herself and all adult members of the household. An applicant must also complete a health and safety checklist assessing the home and personal qualifications.

The contract agency visits the home to confirm that basic safeguards are in place to protect children in care. Upon recommendation by the contract agency, the Commissioner issues the two-year certificate of registration. During the period of registration, a small sample of registered homes is monitored by the contracting agency and state licensing staff for compliance with staffing requirements and the health and safety checklist.”

NOTE: Any child care provider who wishes to participate on this site must voluntarily register their business with the proper agency and be approved before we do our interview! 

Below is additional information we request our featured providers read… parents may find this information valuable as well:

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