Last updated 2026-07-09
TL;DR
Virginia regulates daycare through the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). Family day homes serving up to 12 children need a Certificate of Registration. Centers and larger homes need a License. The family day home application fee is $85. Staff-to-child ratios run from 1:4 for infants to 1:20 for school-age. Plan 60 to 120 days for approval.
Who has to get licensed in Virginia?
If you care for five or more children under age 13 who are not related to you, Virginia says you need state approval. That is the whole trigger. You get either a Certificate of Registration or a License from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) [1].
The two license types split cleanly. A family day home is a residence where the provider cares for one to twelve children. If that home serves five to twelve children at once, it needs a Certificate of Registration. A child day center is any facility that is not a private residence, or one that serves 13 or more children. It needs a full License [1].
Care for fewer than five unrelated children in your home and you sit in a gray zone. Virginia does not require state licensure at that count. Your locality still might. Zoning rules and fire code apply whether or not the state cares, so check with your county or city before you assume you are exempt.
Some programs skip VDOE licensing entirely. Public school programs under the Department of Education's direct authority, programs run by religious organizations that take no public subsidy, and a handful of narrow categories are exempt [1]. If you think you qualify, get a written determination from VDOE before you open. A phone call with a regional office is not protection. Put it in writing.
What types of Virginia childcare licenses exist and what do they cover?
Virginia sorts childcare into a few regulatory buckets, each with its own requirements and fees [1][2].
| License Type | Setting | Capacity Covered | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Registration | Family day home (residence) | 5 to 12 children | $85 [2] |
| License (family day home) | Residence serving 13+ | 13 or more children | Fee varies by capacity [2] |
| License (child day center) | Non-residential facility | Any number | Fee varies by capacity [2] |
| Voluntary Registration | Home serving < 5 unrelated | Under 5 children | No fee |
Most home-based providers in Virginia go for the Certificate of Registration. It is lighter on paperwork than a full center license. It still requires background checks, training hours, a home inspection, and compliance with the Standards for Licensed Child Day Homes [11].
Center licenses are tiered by capacity. VDOE publishes a fee schedule on its child care licensing page. Center fees run from a few hundred dollars for very small programs to over a thousand dollars for large ones. Check the current schedule directly. The legislature has adjusted these figures in recent sessions [2].
Here is one that trips people up. Virginia has a separate track called Voluntary Registration for homes serving fewer than five unrelated children. It costs nothing and gets you into some subsidy programs. It does not carry the legal weight of a Certificate of Registration. Families mix them up all the time, so be plain with parents about which credential you actually hold.
What are the staff-to-child ratios in Virginia?
Virginia's ratios live in the Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers (22VAC40-185) and the Standards for Licensed Child Day Homes (22VAC40-111) [3][11]. They change by setting and age. Infants under 16 months get one staff member per four children. School-age kids get one per twenty.
Child day centers (22VAC40-185):
| Age Group | Max Ratio (staff:children) | Max Group Size |
|---|---|---|
| Under 16 months | 1:4 | 8 |
| 16 to 23 months | 1:5 | 10 |
| 2-year-olds | 1:8 | 16 |
| 3-year-olds | 1:10 | 20 |
| 4-year-olds | 1:10 | 20 |
| 5-year-olds | 1:12 | 24 |
| School-age (6 and up) | 1:20 | None specified [3] |
Family day homes (Certificate of Registration):
A registered family day home provider can have no more than 12 children at once, counting the provider's own children under age 6. Of those 12, no more than 4 may be under age 2. Add an assistant and you can run up to the maximum. Working solo, the provider can care for no more than 6 children at one time [11].
These numbers are not a target you aim near. Inspectors count heads. If a parent drops off a sibling unexpectedly and you go over ratio for 20 minutes, that is a violation on your record. Train every substitute and every assistant to turn kids away at capacity. That is the whole job in that moment.
How do you apply for a Virginia family day home Certificate of Registration?
Everything runs through VDOE's online portal, ChildCareVA. Here is the real sequence, in the order it actually happens [1][2]:
1. Create a ChildCareVA account and complete the online application for a Certificate of Registration. 2. Pay the $85 application fee. 3. Submit background check authorizations for yourself and any adult (18+) living in the home. Virginia wants a Central Registry check (child abuse and neglect), a Virginia criminal history check, and an FBI fingerprint check [4]. 4. Complete the required pre-service training (details in the training section below). 5. Pass a home inspection by a VDOE licensing representative. 6. Provide proof of current first aid and CPR certification. 7. Submit a physician's statement that you are free of communicable diseases.
Plan for 60 to 120 days from application to certificate in hand. Background checks alone eat 4 to 8 weeks. Do not schedule an opening date before the certificate arrives. Operating without a required certificate is a misdemeanor under Virginia law [1].
Center licenses follow a similar path with more layers: a fire marshal inspection, a building and zoning review, and heavier documentation of staff credentials. Center applications commonly take 3 to 6 months. In Northern Virginia the inspection queues stretch that out further.
What training and education do Virginia daycare providers need?
Virginia sets minimum pre-service and ongoing training that changes by license type and role [3][11]. A family day home provider needs a 3-hour orientation before opening and 16 hours of annual training after the first year. A center director needs a real credential.
For a Certificate of Registration (family day home), the provider must complete:
- A 3-hour orientation before opening [11]
- 16 hours of annual training after the first year, covering child development, health and safety, and program administration
- Current pediatric first aid and CPR certification
Center directors face a higher bar. A child day center director must meet one of several qualification paths under 22VAC40-185. The most reachable path is a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential plus at least two years of experience in a childcare setting [3]. If you are aiming for a directorship without a CDA yet, start with our guide to the cda credential.
Lead teachers in centers have their own bar, usually early childhood coursework at the college level or a CDA paired with experience.
Virginia runs a quality rating system called Virginia Quality, its QRIS. Higher ratings ask for training beyond the licensing floor. The payoff is money: a higher Virginia Quality rating opens enhanced subsidy reimbursement rates, so the training hours come back to you [5].
What do Virginia home inspections actually check?
The inspection covers four things: physical environment, records, staff qualifications, and program practices. For a family day home, the inspector walks every room children can reach and checks specifics [11]:
- Working smoke detectors on every level, carbon monoxide detectors near sleeping areas
- Hot water at children's sinks (must not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Medications stored locked and out of reach
- Firearms stored unloaded, locked, and inaccessible
- Outdoor play space free of hazards
- Safe sleep setup for any infant in care (firm, flat surface, no loose bedding)
- Records: emergency contact forms, immunization records, enrollment agreements, daily attendance
Centers add a fire marshal clearance and a local building inspection. The fire marshal checks occupancy load, sprinkler systems, exit signage, and extinguisher placement.
Virginia posts every inspection report publicly through ChildCareVA. Parents can pull up your program and read each violation and each corrective action. That transparency helps families and it holds providers to account. One citation rarely moves a parent. A pattern of repeat violations empties a waitlist.
Here is the practical move. Run a self-inspection every month using VDOE's own monitoring checklist, downloadable from the child care licensing page. Inspectors use that exact document. There is no reason to be surprised on the day.
How does Virginia's childcare subsidy work and how does licensing connect to it?
Virginia's subsidy program is the Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP), paid through the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) [6]. To accept subsidy payments for eligible families, you must be licensed or hold a Certificate of Registration. Voluntarily registered providers (under five unrelated children) can accept subsidy in some cases, but the reimbursement runs lower [6].
Subsidy pays at market-based rates set by VDOE. Rates vary by locality, age group, and Virginia Quality rating. Under the state's CCDF plan, Virginia uses a tiered model where providers at higher Virginia Quality levels earn 5% to 15% more per child per day [6]. That premium stacks fast when you are full.
Families apply through their local Department of Social Services. You enroll as a provider through VDOE's provider portal. Once enrolled, the state pays its portion directly and the family pays you their co-payment.
Planning to serve low-income families? Licensing stops being optional even if your raw child count would technically let you skip it. See how the money moves in our childcare subsidy guide, and how the childcare tax credit interacts with subsidized care on the family's side.
Child Care Aware of America put the average annual cost of center-based infant care in Virginia at roughly $15,000 to $17,000 in its 2023 report [7]. At those prices, subsidy access changes what a moderate-income family can afford.
What does it cost to open a licensed daycare in Virginia?
Startup costs swing wildly. A home program and a leased center are not in the same universe, and what your space already has determines half the number. Here is the honest range [2][7].
Family day home (Certificate of Registration):
- Application fee: $85
- Background checks: roughly $50 to $100 per adult in the home
- First aid and CPR training: $30 to $75
- Mandatory training courses: $0 to $200 depending on provider
- Safety modifications (outlet covers, cabinet locks, smoke detectors, hot water regulator): $100 to $500
- Insurance (home-based childcare liability): $400 to $1,200 per year
- Total pre-opening cash: $700 to $2,200 in a typical case
Child day center:
- License application fee: $200 to $1,000+ depending on capacity [2]
- Renovation and code compliance: highly variable, commonly $5,000 to $50,000+
- Fire marshal compliance: $500 to $5,000
- Staffing before your first enrollment day: your biggest pre-revenue expense
- Total pre-opening: $20,000 to $100,000+ for a modest leased facility
The home route is cheaper to start, which is why most first-time Virginia providers go that way. Centers make sense once you have proven demand and capital behind you. For a look at the center model from the outside, read Daycare center: what it is, what it costs, how it's licensed.
Budget with a cushion. Add 20% to whatever number you build. Inspections regularly turn up modifications you did not see coming, and the cost of a delayed opening (lost revenue while fixed costs keep running) stays invisible until it lands on you.
What are the background check requirements in Virginia?
Virginia layers three separate background checks under the Code of Virginia and VDOE regulations [4]. Anyone who works in a licensed program, and any adult living in a registered family day home, must clear all three before unsupervised contact with children:
1. Central Registry check: searches Virginia's child abuse and neglect registry. Results usually return in 2 to 4 weeks. 2. Virginia State Police criminal history check: covers convictions and pending charges in Virginia. 3. FBI fingerprint-based check: covers federal offenses and crimes in other states. This one drags longest, often 4 to 8 weeks.
Disqualifying offenses include any felony conviction and specific misdemeanors tied to violence, drugs, or crimes against children. Code of Virginia Title 63.2, Chapter 17 lists the disqualifying categories [4]. The list is long. Do not assume a sealed or expunged record clears on its own. Talk to an attorney if you have any prior history.
Providers must re-run Central Registry checks every five years and repeat criminal history checks when an employee returns from a break in service longer than 180 days.
One thing that catches people flat-footed: a check cleared for a different employer does not satisfy Virginia's requirement. VDOE needs checks run through its own system, tied to your specific application. Start fresh.
How does Virginia handle renewals and ongoing compliance?
Certificates of Registration expire every year. Center licenses usually run two years. Renewal is not automatic. You submit a renewal application and fee before your current credential expires, full stop [1][2].
VDOE runs both announced and unannounced monitoring visits. A registered family day home should expect at least one unannounced visit per year. Centers typically get at least two monitoring visits per licensing period. Recent violations bump that frequency up.
Virginia uses a corrective action process for non-critical violations. You get a written notice and a deadline to fix the problem. Critical violations, the ones that put children's health or safety at immediate risk, can trigger suspension or revocation with no corrective action window.
If your license is revoked or you close voluntarily, Virginia law requires written notice to enrolled families with a set amount of advance warning. The exact notice period differs by violation type, so pull the current regulation for your situation.
Keep a compliance calendar. Renewal deadlines, training completion dates, background check refresh dates, fire extinguisher inspection dates. Every one of those carries a penalty if you miss it. A shared spreadsheet beats keeping it in your head. Tools like the ChildCareComp compliance toolkit exist to track these dates so nothing slips through.
Programs in Virginia Quality carry an extra annual quality review on top of VDOE licensing visits. Those reviewers are separate from licensing inspectors. Their findings feed your quality rating, not your license record.
What does Virginia require for health, nutrition, and safe sleep?
Virginia's health and safety rules sit in both the family day home and center regulations [3][11]. The big four are immunizations, safe sleep, nutrition, and medication.
Immunizations: You must keep immunization records for every child in care, reviewed within 30 days of enrollment and updated annually. Virginia uses the CDC childhood immunization schedule as the baseline [8].
Safe sleep: Any infant under 12 months goes on their back, on a firm, flat surface, with no soft bedding, bumper pads, or positioning devices. This tracks the AAP safe sleep guidelines [9]. Violate a safe sleep standard and you face immediate corrective action.
Nutrition: Programs serving meals must follow USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal patterns if they take part in CACFP. Programs outside CACFP still have to meet minimum nutrition standards under Virginia regs when they serve food during the day [10].
Medication: Prescription and over-the-counter medications need written parent authorization, stay in the original container, and get stored locked. Virginia regulations spell out exactly what the authorization form has to include.
Illness: Children and staff showing symptoms of communicable illness stay out. Virginia follows VDOE exclusion guidance, which lines up broadly with the American Academy of Pediatrics Caring for Our Children standards [9].
Health records, medication logs, and illness logs all get inspected. Keep them current, not reconstructed the night before.
How does Virginia compare to other states on licensing stringency?
Virginia lands in the moderately strict tier. It requires licensing at a lower child count (five unrelated children) than many states, mandates all three background check levels, and posts inspection results publicly [1][7].
Child Care Aware of America grades states on 12 quality benchmarks covering licensing, standards, oversight, and workforce support. Virginia meets most benchmarks but gets partial credit on staff qualification requirements, which stay lower than Maryland or Massachusetts [7].
Compare that to Washington State (people search it as "wa state daycare licensing" or "wa daycare licensing"), which requires licensing at three or more unrelated children and runs a similar tiered QRIS with higher baseline teacher education. Those differences matter if you have operated elsewhere and are moving to Virginia. Do not assume your prior training hours or credentials carry over. They often do not.
Virginia's fees run low. The $85 registration fee for a family day home sits among the lowest in the country. That is a deliberate choice to keep barriers to entry down, not a sign of loose oversight. The inspection and compliance side stays active.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a Virginia daycare license?
For a Certificate of Registration (family day home), plan 60 to 120 days from submitting a complete application. Background checks take 4 to 8 weeks on their own. Center licenses in high-demand areas like Northern Virginia can run 3 to 6 months because of fire marshal and building inspection queues. Submit everything at once so missing documents do not add weeks.
Can I watch kids in my home without a license in Virginia?
If you care for four or fewer unrelated children at one time, Virginia does not require a state license. Below that threshold you can pursue voluntary registration, which is free and gives subsidy access. Hit five unrelated children and a Certificate of Registration becomes legally required. Local zoning can still restrict home childcare even below the state threshold, so check with your county first.
What disqualifies someone from getting a Virginia daycare license?
Any felony conviction disqualifies an applicant. Specific misdemeanors tied to violence, drug offenses, and crimes against children are also disqualifying. Virginia checks three databases: the Central Registry (child abuse and neglect), Virginia criminal history, and FBI fingerprints. Every adult living in a registered family day home, not only the provider, must clear all three checks.
What are the infant ratios at Virginia daycare centers?
Virginia requires a 1:4 staff-to-child ratio for infants under 16 months in a child day center, with a maximum group size of 8. For children 16 to 23 months the ratio is 1:5, maximum group size 10. These are set in 22VAC40-185, Virginia's Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers. Family day homes have a separate cap: no more than 4 children under age 2 total.
How much does it cost to get a daycare license in Virginia?
The application fee for a family day home Certificate of Registration is $85. Add roughly $50 to $100 for background checks per adult in the home, $30 to $75 for first aid and CPR training, and $400 to $1,200 for annual liability insurance. Total pre-opening cash for a home program typically runs $700 to $2,200. Center fees vary by capacity and can top $1,000 before renovation costs.
Does Virginia require CPR for daycare providers?
Yes. Current pediatric first aid and CPR certification is required before a Certificate of Registration is issued and must stay current through the licensing period. At least one staff member with current certification must be present whenever children are in care. The certification has to cover both infants and children. Renew before it lapses because an expired card is a citation waiting to happen.
How often does VDOE inspect family day homes in Virginia?
Registered family day homes get at least one unannounced monitoring visit per year. Recent violations increase that frequency. VDOE also runs a renewal inspection when your annual Certificate of Registration comes up. Every inspection result is posted publicly on ChildCareVA, so parents can review your compliance history before they enroll their children with you.
Can a licensed Virginia daycare accept subsidy payments?
Yes. Licensed centers and registered family day homes can enroll in Virginia's Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP) and receive CCDF-funded reimbursements. Providers complete a separate enrollment through VDOE's provider portal. Higher Virginia Quality ratings earn 5% to 15% enhanced reimbursement above the base market rate. Voluntary registrants (under five children) can sometimes accept subsidy at lower rates.
What training hours do Virginia family day home providers need each year?
After the first year, registered family day home providers must complete 16 hours of annual training covering child development, health and safety, and program administration. In the first year, a 3-hour orientation is required before opening. Training runs through VDOE-approved providers, community colleges, or online platforms. Keep your certificates of completion because inspectors ask for them every visit.
Does Virginia require a curriculum for licensed daycares?
Virginia regulations require a written plan for activities appropriate to children's ages and developmental stages, but they do not mandate a specific commercial curriculum. Centers at higher Virginia Quality levels are expected to document their curriculum approach more thoroughly. Many providers use established frameworks, from structured programs to approaches like Montessori. See our guide on preschool curriculum for options.
What records must Virginia daycare providers keep?
Required records include signed enrollment agreements, emergency contact forms, immunization records for every child, daily attendance logs, medication authorization and administration logs, staff training certificates, background check documentation, and signed parent notification forms. Centers must also keep staff personnel files with credential verification. Inspectors can request any of these during announced or unannounced visits.
How do I renew my Virginia daycare license or Certificate of Registration?
Certificates of Registration expire annually; center licenses typically run two years. VDOE sends renewal notices, but renewing on time is your responsibility. Submit the renewal application and fee through ChildCareVA before your expiration date. Operating on an expired credential is the same violation as operating without one. Start your renewal paperwork at least 60 days before expiration to leave room for processing.
Are religious daycare programs exempt from Virginia licensing?
Some religious organizations are exempt from VDOE licensing if they take no public funding and meet specific criteria under Virginia law. The exemption is not automatic. You must request a written exemption determination from VDOE before opening. Exempt programs cannot receive CCSP subsidy payments. The exemption is narrow and has been subject to legal interpretation, so get everything in writing.
Sources
- Virginia Department of Education, Child Care Licensing: Virginia requires a Certificate of Registration or License for anyone caring for five or more unrelated children; exemptions for certain religious organizations and public school programs exist under state law
- Virginia Department of Education, Child Care Licensing Fees: Application fee for a family day home Certificate of Registration is $85; center fees vary by capacity per VDOE's published fee schedule
- Virginia Administrative Code, 22VAC40-185 Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers: Virginia staff-to-child ratios range from 1:4 for infants under 16 months to 1:20 for school-age children; group size maximums and center director qualifications are set in these standards
- Code of Virginia, Title 63.2, Chapter 17, Background Checks: Virginia requires Central Registry, Virginia criminal history, and FBI fingerprint checks for all staff and adults in registered family day homes; disqualifying offenses include felonies and specified misdemeanors
- Virginia Quality, Virginia's Quality Rating and Improvement System: Higher Virginia Quality ratings require additional training and professional development beyond licensing minimums and are linked to enhanced subsidy reimbursement rates
- Virginia Department of Social Services, Child Care Subsidy Program: Virginia's CCSP uses CCDF funding with tiered reimbursement; providers at higher Virginia Quality levels receive 5% to 15% enhanced rates per the state's CCDF plan
- Child Care Aware of America, Demanding Change: Repairing Our Child Care System (2023): Average annual cost of center-based infant care in Virginia was approximately $15,000 to $17,000 in 2023; Virginia meets most but not all of Child Care Aware's 12 quality benchmarks
- CDC, Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule: Virginia requires childcare providers to maintain immunization records aligned with the CDC childhood immunization schedule, reviewed within 30 days of enrollment
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Safe Sleep Recommendations: Virginia safe sleep standards for infant care require back placement on a firm flat surface with no soft bedding, consistent with AAP safe sleep guidelines
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Child and Adult Care Food Program: Virginia programs participating in CACFP must follow USDA meal pattern requirements; even non-CACFP programs must meet minimum nutrition standards under state regulations if they serve food
- Virginia Administrative Code, 22VAC40-111 Standards for Licensed Family Day Homes: Registered family day homes in Virginia may serve up to 12 children total; no more than 4 may be under age 2, and the provider alone may not care for more than 6 children at one time; family day home training and inspection requirements are set in this chapter