Making the right early learning choice for your child can be challenging. Parents often struggle with a number of issues including cost, location, transportation, schedule, quality and approach to learning. Depending on the age of a child, Virginia families have access to several types of early learning programs. Below is a general description of the types of programs available in Virginia. Typically, any preschool or child care program will fall under one of two categories: government-sponsored or private programs. The government programs offer financial assistance for qualifying parents. Some of the private programs also offer financial assistance.
Types of Programs
Preschool Programs - Preschool programs provide the learning development of three to five year-olds by providing an environment that prepares them for kindergarten. High-quality preschool programs provide a foundation for learning and prepare children for future success. School-readiness activities in preschools focus on educational, physical, and social-emotional development. For qualifying families, Virginia provides financial assistance for four-year olds through the Virginia Preschool Initiative.
Child Day Care Programs - Child day care refers to a wide variety of programs for children under age 13 where providers care for groups of children. In Virginia, there are two types of child day programs: child day centers (center-based) and family day homes (family-based).
- Child Day Centers. Child day centers provide care for (1) two or more children under age 13 in a facility that is not the provider’s home or (2) have 13 or more children at any location. These programs are generally located in commercial buildings where children are divided into classrooms or groups of similarly aged kids.
- Family Day Homes. 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.
Government Programs
- Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI). VPI is a program that distributes state funds to schools and community-based organizations to provide high-quality preschool programs for at-risk four-year-olds not served by Head Start. The purpose of the program is to reduce differences among children entering kindergarten and reduce or eliminate the risk factors leading to academic failure.
- Head Start and Early Head Start. Head Start and Early Head Start are federal programs that promote school readiness for children birth to age five. Head Start is a child-centered, family focused, comprehensive and community-based program providing high quality services to promote academic, physical, social and emotional development for income-eligible children and their families. Local Head Start programs are funded directly by the federal Office of Head Start. For more information, visit the Virginia Head Start Association.
- Mixed Delivery. The state budget provided funding in 2020 and 2021 to support public-private delivery of pre-Kindergarten services for at least 500 three and four year old children. This grant program promotes flexibility and innovative thinking in early learning and represent the opportunity to promote more public-private partnerships and increased collaboration between business, education, and community leaders. While funds for the program were eliminated by the COVID-related budget cuts, the program remains vital for future growth and access to early learning opportunities. For more information, click here.
Private Programs -To give parents information about the level of oversight for private programs, the state puts providers into various categories, depending on their certification.
- Licensed. Licensed private programs must meet state standards of care, are subject to multiple inspections a year, and employees must pass background checks. Specific standards of care depend on whether the program is a child day center or a program that operates from a provider’s home.
- License-exempt. These programs are not legally required to obtain a license because they either: (1) have a religious affiliation, or (2) are a private certified preschool. Exempt programs must maintain some state requirements and can be subject to state background checks and/or inspections.
- Voluntarily Registered. Programs that operate within a care provider’s home may voluntarily register for periodic state inspections and background checks. These programs must adhere to specific requirements the state developed for voluntarily registered providers.
- Unregulated. Unregulated programs are those that operate within a care provider’s home and are not inspected by the state. These programs can provide care for no more than four children.
Community Programs
- Smart Beginnings. Smart Beginnings are locally-driven enterprises that creates community commitment to school readiness by bringing public and private leaders together to collaborate on priorities for their youngest citizens. Local Smart Beginnings partners help communities deliver on ensuring conditions for a strong, healthy start for young children and their families. For more information, visit the Smart Beginnings site