Virginia Law

A. Vendors who participate in the subsidy program must be at least 18 years of age.

B. Vendors shall permit and cooperate with inspections by staff from the department and local departments of social services.

C. Vendors shall comply with the regulations applicable to the vendor's type of child care, including all requirements to conduct background checks.

D. Vendors shall comply with the subsidy program vendor requirements as outlined in Parts II ( 8VAC20-790-140 et seq.) and III ( 8VAC20-790-490 et seq.) of this chapter applicable to the vendor's type of care.

E. All vendors who participate in the Child Care Subsidy Program shall enter into a vendor agreement with the department. The vendor's signature or electronic submission confirms its agreement to comply with the applicable sections of this chapter and the terms of the agreement, including payment processes, electronic submission and tracking of attendance, absences, and vendor requirements. Vendors shall be subject to monitoring inspections to ensure compliance with this chapter and with the vendor agreement.

F. Employees of any division within the department or a local department of social services cannot participate in the subsidy program as a vendor.

G. Vendors shall provide notice to individuals required under this chapter to undergo background checks of the opportunity to challenge the results of the background checks in accordance with the procedures described in this subsection in the case of criminal checks, or by contacting the local department of social services that reported such individual to be named on the Child Protective Services Central Registry.

1. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): If an individual is denied employment or the opportunity to provide volunteer or contractual services because of information appearing on the individual's FBI record and it comes to the individual's attention that he is not the person of the record, the individual may initiate a challenge of the information contained in the record. The facility is required by state and federal laws to provide the individual with a copy of the challenge procedures. The challenge procedures can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks.

2. Virginia State Police: In instances where it comes to an individual's attention that his name or other descriptive information is a matter of record in the Central Criminal Records Exchange, and he is not the person of the record, then the individual may initiate a challenge of the information contained in the record as provided at http://www.vsp.state.va.us/CJIS_CCRE.shtm. The individual must report this information to a local sheriff, police, or State Police Headquarters and request to be fingerprinted for the purpose of challenging a criminal record. The individual to be fingerprinted must show personal identification. The official taking the fingerprints must document on letterhead paper that he has reviewed the individual's personal identification and obtained the fingerprints. This letter and the fingerprints are to be mailed to the following address: Manager Central Criminal Records Exchange Virginia Department of State Police, P.O. Box 27472, Richmond, VA 23261-7472. Within five workdays, the individual who initiated the challenge will receive written confirmation of the fingerprint search results, whether he is or is not the person of the record, and record modifications taken, if applicable.

3. If an individual successfully challenges information on a background check in accordance with these procedures, the vendor may submit a request for a new background investigation in order to obtain an accurate record.

H. Disputes between the vendor and the department regarding the payment for services rendered, enforcement or termination of the vendor agreement, or disqualification from participating in the Child Care Subsidy Program may be appealed by the vendor pursuant to the Virginia Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia), as provided in this subsection. This shall be the sole remedy for such disputes.

1. Within 30 days of the date of a written notice of department action against a vendor, the vendor may request an appeal in writing with the department.

2. Upon receiving the vendor's notice of appeal, the department shall schedule an informal conference at which the vendor may provide such further information or present any additional facts for the department to reconsider its action. The department shall issue a written decision within 15 business days from the conclusion of the informal conference. The vendor may waive the holding of the informal conference and request the formal hearing described in subdivision 3 of this subsection in its initial request for an appeal to the department.

3. The vendor may appeal the decision from the informal conference by requesting an administrative hearing within 30 days of the date of the decision from the informal conference. The administrative hearing shall be held in accordance with § 2.2-4020 of the Code of Virginia and shall be presided over by a hearing officer designated by the Supreme Court of Virginia pursuant to subsection A of § 2.2-4024 of the Code of Virginia. Within 30 days of the administrative hearing, the hearing officer shall recommend a decision to the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the Virginia Department of Education. The superintendent shall issue a final decision within 30 days of receipt of the hearing officer's recommended decision in accordance with subsection C of § 2.2-4021 of the Code of Virginia.

4. The vendor may seek court review of the superintendent's decision in accordance with Article 3 (§ 2.2-4018 et. seq.) of the Virginia Administrative Process Act.