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Virginia Education and Action Center

Throughout Virginia, over 400,000 children under the age of 6 have working parents.  In order for parents to work, many depend on child care.  Yet, in too many communities, child care is difficult to find, more difficult to afford, and too often of questionable quality.

On this page, you can learn more about the issues involved with promoting the health and safety of children in child care and how you can work with us to promote quality child care settings for children throughout Virginia. Take Action and  join us today. Policymakers need to hear that parents need child care and children should be safe in child care settings.

Policy Tools

Background Basics:

Children in Virginia Fact Sheet  (January 2022)

Child Care Aware of Virginia Policy Agenda in Brief  (January 2022)

Why Quality Matters to Employers (January 2022)

Strengthening Virginia's Child Care Laws to Promote Safety & Quality Settings:

Child Care Background Check Portability (January 2021)

Background Checks:The State Police Need Rap Back to Protect Children (January 2021)

Background Checks: Rap Back Talking Points in Brief (January 2021)

VA General Assembly Legislative Action in 2022

2022 House Education Committee

2022 House Education Subcommittee on Early Childhood

2022 Senate Education and Health Committee

2022 Senate Education Public Education Subcommittee

2022 House Health, Welfare and Institutions (HWI) Committee

2022 Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee

2022 House Public Safety Committee

2022 House Appropriations Committee

2022 Senate Finance Committee

2022 Women in the Virginia House of Delegates

2022 Women in the Virginia Senate

Materials Related to New Virginia Child Care Safety Laws

New Law: Preventing Access to Guns by Children in Child Care (Cole's Law)

New Law: Protecting the Safety of Children in License-Exempt Child Care (Dylan's Law)

Betsy Cummings Testimony on Behalf of 7 week-old Dylan (Supporting License-Exempt Care Protections)

Child Care Licensing Threshold Reduction & Public Notices (2015)

Josephs Law: Tough Penalties for Unlicensed Providers (2016)

Written Notice Requirements to Parents from Providers Offering Unlicensed Care

Materials Related to New Federal Child Care Law:

Federal Child Care Bill Reauthorization Overview Presentation (Powerpoint, Sept 26 2014)

Federal Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Bill Summary

Virginia: FY2019-FY2021 Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) State Plan

Final HHS Child Care Regulations to implement the new federal child care law (September 2016)

Elementary & Secondary Education Act Reauthorization: (ESEA)

Provisions Related to Early Learning:

ESEA: New provision to promote coordination and collaboration among early childhood programs (Dec. 2015)

Background Resources on Child Care in Virginia:

Virginia Code Section for Child Care

Child Care Regulations

Commonwealth of Virginia, Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five, Needs Assessment (2019)

JLARC, (Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission) Report: Improving Virginia's Early Childhood Development Programs (2017)

Child Day Programs Exempt from Licensure Report, VA Department of Social Services (2016)

JLARC (Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission) Report: Regulation and Provision of Child Day Care in Virginia (1990)

Advocacy Tools

Check out our advocacy toolbox for all the tools you need to make your advocacy efforts simple and easy! Feel free to cut & paste from our materials or revise them to better meet your needs.

Advocacy Tools:

Testimony (videos) before the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee in support of Senator Hanger's license-exempt care bill (SB1239).  Betsy Cummings.  Elly Lafkin. (1/27/17)

Letter from VA organizations to VA General Assembly supporting child care safety (i.e., minimum requirements for license exempt care)

Capitol Day (2017). Capitol Day Overview Power Point Presentation

Capitol Day Talking Points 2017: Talking Points for Basic Messages 

Sample Meeting Request Letter  (to meet with your state legislators in Richmond)

Sample District Meeting Request Letter (to meet with state legislators in your district, for example, to invite them to a child care program or to meet in their district office)

Sample Talking Points (2020)

Sample Letter to the Editor

Sample Press Release (2020)

Talking Points on Protecting Children In Child Care - Closing the Child Care Loophole in Virginia

Background Check Spotlight

Child Care Background Check Portability (January 2021)

Background Checks: The State Police Need "Rap Back" to Protect Children (1 pager) (January 2021)

Background Checks: Rap Back Talking Points in Brief (January 2021)

Virginia State Police: Noncriminal Justice Background Checks, Process Improvement Study. Report to the VA General Assembly (2018)

FBI, Privacy Impact Assessment for Next Generation Identification (NGI) Rap Back Services (December 2016)

State Participation in National Systems and Programs that Facilitate Interstate Exchange of Criminal History Records (2016)

Final Report: VA Dept. of Social Services and State Police Task Force Report with Recommendations about Implementing Fingerprint Checks for Child Care Providers in Virginia (Nov. 2014)

VA Task Force Executive Summary (2014)

Overview: Background Check Screening Databases

Background Check Requirements under the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant

U.S. Dept. of Justice 2010 Attorney General Report

Reports Related to Sex Offenders in Child Care Programs:

U.S. Government Accountability Report

IL Audit Finds Sex Offenders in Child Care Programs (90 matches)

KY Audit Finds Sex Offenders in Child Care Programs (30 matches)

MA Audit Finds Sex Offenders in Child Care (119 matches)

WA Audit Finds Sex Offenders in Child Care (28 matches)

Child Care as an Economic Development Strategy

Child Care Industry Economic Impact:

The Committee for Economic Development released a report in 2019 about the impact of the child care industry on local economies.  The CED Child Care and State Economies: 2019 Update report shows that the child care industry is important for children, parents, employers, and communities. For Virginia specific information based on the report, 

  • VA economic impact fact sheet
  • VA economic impact talking points
  • VA State Infographic based on the data from the report

Parent Engagement

Check out these resources to form a parent network about issues important in your community!

Parent Network Tools:

Creating a Parent Network (Overview)

Sample Flyer to Hand Out at Events or Child Care Programs

Parent & Grandparent Stories: (One Pagers)

Elly Lafkin on behalf of Cami

Betsy Cummings on behalf of Dylan

Belle Colassaco on behalf of Noah

Matthew and Jacquelyn Allen on behalf of Joseph

Herman and LuAnn Allen on behalf of grandson Joseph

Michele Rossi Bullock on behalf of Briele

Deborah Santos on behalf of Pnut Bodine Bodine

Patience and Kevin Barkman on behalf of Kennedy

Dilyara Daminova and Samuel Ary on behalf of Olivia

Kyrin and Josh Falcetti on behalf of Cole 

Stephanie Serafini 

Susana Coro

Parents & Grandparents Testifying Before VA General Assembly

Elly Lafkin on behalf of Cami

Herman and LuAnn Allen on behalf of Joseph

Belle Colassaco on behalf of Noah

Dilyara Daminova testimony on behalf of Olivia

Child Care News in Virginia

Letter to the Editor: Hot Cars and the Child in the Back, July 11, 2019

Video:  Virginia Expands Background Checks for Day Care Workers, March 1, 2017

Bills Over Child Care Provider Background Checks Draw Ire from VA Religious Groups, February 13, 2017

Family who lost daughter in 2012 pushes for new childcare safety legislation, January 27, 2017

Chesterfield woman faces involuntary manslaughter after infant's death at daycare, January 12, 2017

Roger Chesley: Virginia's risky day-care system, The Virginian Pilot, Dec 16, 2016

"30 pieces of silver" Day care fingerprint bill draws church criticism,  Daily Press, January 17, 2017

Child Abuse Investigation at Henrico Day Care Leads to 3 arrests, November 21, 2016

Matthew and Jaci Allen Speak Out at Child Care Safety Capitol Day (Feb. 11, 2016) Channel 8 News, Richmond.

Elly and Cameron Lafkin Speak Out at Child Care Safety Capitol Day (Feb. 11, 2016) Channel 29 News, Charlottesville.

Op-Ed by Sharon Veatch, Child Care Aware of Virginia: Children Should be Safe in Child Care (Richmond Times Dispatch, Jan. 29, 2016)

In Virginia, Thousands of Day Care Providers Receive No Oversight (Washington Post, August 31, 2014)

After a Child’s Death, Parents Grapple with Second Guesses (Washington Post, September 1, 2014)

Second Child Dies in Fatal Day Care Fire (September 25, 2014)

Child Killed in Midlothian Day Care Fire was Strapped in a Car Seat (October 24, 2014)

Veatch: It’s Time to Protect Children in Child Care (Richmond Times Dispatch, October 29, 2014)

Child Care Licensing Isn’t Hard – But it should be required (Washington Post, November 16, 2014)

Parents Call for Justice after son’s death at Chesterfield day care fire (December 3, 2014)

Children in Unlicensed Day Cares are 5 Times as Likely to Die (Richmond Times Dispatch, December 20, 2014)

Nine VA children died in unregulated day care in 2014, the deadliest year in a decade (Washington Post, December 30, 2014)

Op-Ed, Richmond Times Dispatch: It's time to Protect Children in Child Care (Sharon Veatch, Executive Director, Child Care Aware of Virginia)

Op-Ed, Washington Post: Child Care Licensing Isn't Hard -- But It Should Be Required (Sharon Veatch, Executive Director, Child Care Aware of Virginia)

LTE: It's Time to Stop Putting Children At Risk (Richmond Times Dispatch)

VAFCCA support statement: Close the Child Care Loophole and Protect Children (November 2014)

Op-Ed, Richmond Times Dispatch: GA's Bill to Protect Children Creates New Loopholes, Sharon Veatch, Executive Director, Child Care Aware of Virginia (March 9, 2015)

Resources for Parents and Providers

Resources for Parents and Child Care Providers on Early Childhood Development (social, emotional, physical and cognitive development)

News You Can Use: Parent Newsletter (Check List for Parents and Providers)

Promoting Healthy Development: Wondering what to expect for your infant or toddler? Need to know where to go for a free developmental screening?

Sign Up to Receive Updates & Alerts!

Join our campaign to strengthen the quality of child care and early learning. Parents in every community need choices among quality settings.

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Child Care Aware of Virginia

804 Moorefield Park Drive, Suite 101
Richmond, VA 23236
804-285-0846

http://va.childcareaware.org/

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  @CCAwareofVA

 

Child Care Aware of America

For Child Care Aware of America's national action center, http://capwiz.com/naccrra/home/