Home-based care for five through 12 children must be licensed, excluding the provider's own children and other resident children. Care solely for children related by blood or marriage is exempt.
Every person issued a license that has not been suspended or revoked must renew such license before its expiration.
Home providers licensed after June 30, 2010, and substitutes employed after that date need three months of programmatic experience.
Home providers and substitute providers must be at least 18.
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Virginia Superintendent
Every person who constitutes, or who operates or maintains, a child day program or home-based child care system shall obtain the appropriate license from the SuperintendentOfficial source
Licenses required; issuance, expiration, and renewalOfficial source
Home providers and substitute providers must be at least 18.
Providers and substitute providers shall be 18 years of age or older.Official source
Home providers licensed after June 30, 2010, and substitutes employed after that date need high school completion or equivalent, or evidence of meeting accredited college/university admission requirements.
Providers licensed after and substitute providers employed after June 30, 2010, shall have: (i) A high school program completion or the equivalent or (ii) evidence of having met the requirements for admission to an accredited college or university;Official source
Home providers licensed after June 30, 2010, and substitutes employed after that date need three months of programmatic experience.
Providers licensed after and substitute providers employed after June 30, 2010, shall have: Three months of programmatic experience;Official source
Review the official instructions for your situation before applying.
Open the official agency pageHome-based care for five through 12 children must be licensed, excluding the provider's own children and other resident children. Care solely for children related by blood or marriage is exempt.
Home-based child care in which five through 12 children are served, exclusive of the provider's own children and any children who reside in the home, shall be licensed. However, home-based child care where the children in care are all related to the provider by blood or marriage shall not be required to be licensed.Official source
A home caring for more than four children under age two, including the provider's own and resident children, must be licensed or voluntarily registered.
no more than four children under the age of two shall be served in home-based child care, including the provider's own children and any children who reside in the home, unless the home-based child care is licensed or voluntarily registered.Official source
A child day center serves two or more children under 13 outside a provider's or child's residence, or 13 or more children at any location; statutory exemptions must also be checked.
"Child day center" means a child day program offered to (i) two or more children under the age of 13 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.Official source
Home-based licenses may last up to three years; center licenses last two years. The Superintendent may adjust periods for administrative workload.
Each license for home-based child care or a home-based child care system and renewals thereof may be issued for periods of up to three successive years, unless sooner revoked or surrendered. Licenses issued to child day centers under this chapter shall have a duration of two years from date of issuance. The Superintendent may extend or shorten the duration of licensure periodsOfficial source
Program directors must be at least 21 years of age and must meet one of the following: Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, a person between 19 and 21 years of age may serve as a program director at a short-term program serving only school age children if the program director has daily supervisory contact by a person at least 21 years of age who meets one of the program director qualification options.
Program directors shall be at least 21 years of age and shall meet one of the following: Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, a person between 19 and 21 years of age may serve as a program director at a short-term program serving only school age children if the program director has daily supervisory contact by a person at least 21 years of age who meets one of the program director qualification options.Official source
Home caregivers need 16 annual clock hours relevant to their responsibilities, in addition to first aid and CPR.
In addition to satisfactory completion of first aid training and CPR training, caregivers shall obtain a minimum of sixteen clock hours of training annually in areas relevant to their job responsibilities.Official source
Center staff generally need 16 annual training hours in addition to orientation. Short-term programs require 10; non-group staff and certain cooperative preschool volunteers have separate requirements.
Staff shall complete annually a minimum of 16 hours of training appropriate to the age of children in care. Staff who work with a group of children at the center and are employed at a short-term program shall only be required to obtain a minimum of 10 hours of staff training per year.Official source
Every person issued a license that has not been suspended or revoked must renew such license before its expiration.
Every person issued a license that has not been suspended or revoked shall renew such license prior to its expiration.Official source
Home caregiver annual training includes child development, behavior management, health and safety, art/music, nutrition, abuse prevention, emergency preparedness, and communicable-disease prevention.
Physical, intellectual, social, and emotional child development; Behavior management and discipline techniques; Health and safety in the family day home environment; Art and music activities for children; Child nutrition; Recognition and prevention of child abuse and neglect; Emergency preparedness Recognition and prevention of the spread of communicable diseases.Official source
Have a license or permit? Use the expiration date printed on it to set up your calendar and reminders.
Confirm the charges and conditions for your application with the official agency.
Every person issued a license that has not been suspended or revoked must renew such license before its expiration.
Every person issued a license that has not been suspended or revoked shall renew such license prior to its expiration.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Last verified Oct 25, 2026. Each quotation supports the corresponding published value.
Virginia Superintendent
Virginia Superintendent
Every person who constitutes, or who operates or maintains, a child day program or home-based child care system shall obtain the appropriate license from the SuperintendentOfficial source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title22.1/chapter14.1/section22.1-289.011/
Licenses required; issuance, expiration, and renewalOfficial source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Home providers and substitute providers must be at least 18.
Home providers and substitute providers must be at least 18.
Providers and substitute providers shall be 18 years of age or older.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Home providers licensed after June 30, 2010, and substitutes employed after that date need high school completion or equivalent, or evidence of meeting accredited college/university admission requirements.
Home providers licensed after June 30, 2010, and substitutes employed after that date need high school completion or equivalent, or evidence of meeting accredited college/university admission requirements.
Providers licensed after and substitute providers employed after June 30, 2010, shall have: (i) A high school program completion or the equivalent or (ii) evidence of having met the requirements for admission to an accredited college or university;Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Home providers licensed after June 30, 2010, and substitutes employed after that date need three months of programmatic experience.
Home providers licensed after June 30, 2010, and substitutes employed after that date need three months of programmatic experience.
Providers licensed after and substitute providers employed after June 30, 2010, shall have: Three months of programmatic experience;Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Every person issued a license that has not been suspended or revoked must renew such license before its expiration.
Every person issued a license that has not been suspended or revoked shall renew such license prior to its expiration. Applies to: Licensed child day programs and home-based child care systems
Every person issued a license that has not been suspended or revoked shall renew such license prior to its expiration.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Home caregiver annual training includes child development, behavior management, health and safety, art/music, nutrition, abuse prevention, emergency preparedness, and communicable-disease prevention.
Home caregiver annual training includes child development, behavior management, health and safety, art/music, nutrition, abuse prevention, emergency preparedness, and communicable-disease prevention.
Physical, intellectual, social, and emotional child development; Behavior management and discipline techniques; Health and safety in the family day home environment; Art and music activities for children; Child nutrition; Recognition and prevention of child abuse and neglect; Emergency preparedness Recognition and prevention of the spread of communicable diseases.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Home-based care for five through 12 children must be licensed, excluding the provider's own children and other resident children. Care solely for children related by blood or marriage is exempt.
Home-based care for five through 12 children must be licensed, excluding the provider's own children and other resident children. Care solely for children related by blood or marriage is exempt.
Home-based child care in which five through 12 children are served, exclusive of the provider's own children and any children who reside in the home, shall be licensed. However, home-based child care where the children in care are all related to the provider by blood or marriage shall not be required to be licensed.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
A home caring for more than four children under age two, including the provider's own and resident children, must be licensed or voluntarily registered.
A home caring for more than four children under age two, including the provider's own and resident children, must be licensed or voluntarily registered.
no more than four children under the age of two shall be served in home-based child care, including the provider's own children and any children who reside in the home, unless the home-based child care is licensed or voluntarily registered.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
A child day center serves two or more children under 13 outside a provider's or child's residence, or 13 or more children at any location; statutory exemptions must also be checked.
A child day center serves two or more children under 13 outside a provider's or child's residence, or 13 or more children at any location; statutory exemptions must also be checked.
"Child day center" means a child day program offered to (i) two or more children under the age of 13 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.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Home-based licenses may last up to three years; center licenses last two years. The Superintendent may adjust periods for administrative workload.
Home-based licenses may last up to three years; center licenses last two years. The Superintendent may adjust periods for administrative workload.
Each license for home-based child care or a home-based child care system and renewals thereof may be issued for periods of up to three successive years, unless sooner revoked or surrendered. Licenses issued to child day centers under this chapter shall have a duration of two years from date of issuance. The Superintendent may extend or shorten the duration of licensure periodsOfficial source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Program directors must be at least 21 years of age and must meet one of the following: Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, a person between 19 and 21 years of age may serve as a program director at a short-term program serving only school age children if the program director has daily supervisory contact by a person at least 21 years of age who meets one of the program director qualification options.
Center program directors generally must be 21 and meet one of the education/experience routes in 8VAC20-780-190. A 19–20-year-old may direct a short-term school-age program with the specified daily supervision.
Program directors shall be at least 21 years of age and shall meet one of the following: Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, a person between 19 and 21 years of age may serve as a program director at a short-term program serving only school age children if the program director has daily supervisory contact by a person at least 21 years of age who meets one of the program director qualification options.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Home caregivers need 16 annual clock hours relevant to their responsibilities, in addition to first aid and CPR.
Home caregivers need 16 annual clock hours relevant to their responsibilities, in addition to first aid and CPR.
In addition to satisfactory completion of first aid training and CPR training, caregivers shall obtain a minimum of sixteen clock hours of training annually in areas relevant to their job responsibilities.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Center staff generally need 16 annual training hours in addition to orientation. Short-term programs require 10; non-group staff and certain cooperative preschool volunteers have separate requirements.
Center staff generally need 16 annual training hours in addition to orientation. Short-term programs require 10; non-group staff and certain cooperative preschool volunteers have separate requirements.
Staff shall complete annually a minimum of 16 hours of training appropriate to the age of children in care. Staff who work with a group of children at the center and are employed at a short-term program shall only be required to obtain a minimum of 10 hours of staff training per year.Official source
Last verified Oct 25, 2026
Not yet verified: license fee, required hours, exam — see the official agency.
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Last verified Oct 25, 2026.
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