Virginia Law

Article 8. Facilities and Programs.

A. Upon enrollment of a child in a regulated child day program, such child day program shall require information from the person enrolling the child regarding previous child day care and schools attended by the child. The regulated child day program shall also require that the person enrolling the child present the regulated child day program with the proof of the child's identity and age. The proof of identity, if reproduced or retained by the child day program or both, shall be destroyed upon the conclusion of the requisite period of retention. The procedures for the disposal, physical destruction, or other disposition of the proof of identity containing social security numbers shall include all reasonable steps to destroy such documents by (i) shredding, (ii) erasing, or (iii) otherwise modifying the social security numbers in those records to make them unreadable or indecipherable by any means.

B. For purposes of this section:

"Proof of identity" means a certified copy of a birth certificate or other reliable proof of the child's identity and age.

"Regulated child day program" is one in which a person or organization has agreed to assume responsibility for the supervision, protection, and well-being of a child under the age of 13 for less than a 24-hour period that is licensed pursuant to § 22.1-289.011, voluntarily registered pursuant to § 22.1-289.015, certified as a preschool or nursery school program pursuant to § 22.1-289.032, exempted from licensure as a child day center operated by a religious institution pursuant to § 22.1-289.031, or approved as a family day home by a licensed family day system.

C. If the parent, guardian, or other person enrolling the child in a regulated child day program for longer than two consecutive days or other pattern of regular attendance does not provide the information required by subsection A within seven business days of initial attendance, such child day program shall immediately notify the local law-enforcement agency in its jurisdiction of such failure to provide the requested information.

D. Upon receiving notification of such failure to provide the information required by subsection A, the law-enforcement agency shall, if available information warrants, immediately submit an inquiry to the Missing Children Information Clearinghouse and, with the assistance of the local department of social services, if available information warrants, conduct the appropriate investigation to determine whether the child is missing.

E. The Board shall adopt regulations to implement the provisions of this section.

2020, cc. 860, 861.

A. Any person who operates a family day home approved by a licensed family day system, a licensed family day home, or a voluntarily registered family day home shall furnish a written notice to the parent or guardian of each child under the care of the family day home, which states whether there is liability insurance in force to cover the operation of the family day home, provided that no person under this section shall state that liability insurance is in place to cover the operation of the family day home, unless there is a minimum amount of coverage as established by the Department.

B. Each parent or guardian shall acknowledge, in writing, receipt of such notice. In the event there is no longer insurance coverage, the person operating the family day home shall (i) notify each parent or guardian within 10 business days after the effective date of the change and (ii) obtain written acknowledgment of such notice. A copy of an acknowledgment required under this section shall be maintained on file at the family day home at all times while the child attends the family day home and for 12 months after the child's last date of attendance.

C. Any person who fails to give any notice required under this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of up to $500 for each such failure.

2020, cc. 860, 861.

Any facility licensed as a child day center which also meets the requirements for a license as a summer camp by the Department of Health under the provisions of § 35.1-18 shall be entitled to a summer camp license. Such a facility shall comply with all of the regulations adopted by the Board and the State Board of Health for each such license.

2020, cc. 860, 861.

The Superintendent shall not issue a license to any child day center that is located in a building built prior to 1978 until he receives a written statement that the building has been inspected for asbestos, as defined by § 2.2-1162, and in accordance with the regulations for initial asbestos inspections pursuant to the federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, 40 C.F.R. Part 763 — Asbestos Containing Materials in Schools. The inspection shall be conducted by personnel competent to identify the presence of asbestos and licensed in Virginia as an asbestos inspector and as an asbestos management planner pursuant to Chapter 5 (§ 54.1-500 et seq.) of Title 54.1. The written statement shall state whether (i) no asbestos was detected, (ii) asbestos was detected and response actions to abate any risk to human health have been completed, or (iii) asbestos was detected and response actions to abate any risk to human health have been recommended in accordance with a specified schedule and plan pursuant to applicable state and federal statutes and regulations. The statement shall include identification of any significant hazard areas, the date of the inspection and be signed by the person who inspected for the asbestos. If asbestos was detected, an operations and maintenance plan shall be developed in accordance with the regulations of the federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act and the statement shall be signed by the person who prepared the operations and maintenance plan. Any inspection, preparation of an operations and maintenance plan or response action shall be performed by competent personnel who have been licensed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 5 of Title 54.1.

When asbestos has been detected, the applicant for licensure shall also submit to the Superintendent a written statement that response actions to abate any risk to human health have been or will be initiated in accordance with a specified schedule and plan as recommended by an asbestos management planner licensed in Virginia. This statement shall be signed by the applicant for licensure.

The written statements required by this section shall be submitted for approval to the Superintendent's representative prior to issuance of a license. The provisions of this section shall not apply to child day centers located in buildings required to be inspected pursuant to Article 5 (§ 2.2-1162 et seq.) of Chapter 11 of Title 2.2.

2020, cc. 860, 861.

In case the Superintendent fails to take final action upon an application for a license within 60 days after the application is made, either by way of issuance or refusal, or fails within such time to notify the applicant thereof, it shall be lawful for the applicant to engage in the operations or activities for which the license is desired, until the Superintendent has taken final action and notified the applicant thereof; however, no application shall be deemed made until all the required information is submitted in the form prescribed by the Superintendent.

2020, cc. 860, 861.

A custodial parent or guardian shall be admitted to any child day program. For purposes of this section, "child day program" is one in which a person or organization has agreed to assume responsibility for the supervision, protection, and well-being of a child under the age of 13 for less than a 24-hour period, regardless of whether it is licensed. Such right of admission shall apply only while the child is in the child day program.

2020, cc. 860, 861.

The Board may adopt policies, as permitted by state and federal law, to restrict the eligibility of a child day program or family day system to receive or continue to receive funds when such agency is found to be in serious or persistent violation of regulations.

2020, cc. 860, 861.

Programs offered to students who reside at or who are affiliated with a private school accredited by the Virginia Council for Private Education, which is located west of Sandy Ridge and on the watersheds of Big Sandy River and to which no contributions are made by the Commonwealth or any agency thereof, shall not be required to obtain a licensure pursuant to Title 22.1 or 63.2. Such programs shall be subject to the safety and supervisory standards established for such school by the Virginia Council for Private Education.

2022, Sp. Sess. I, c. 2; 2023, cc. 285, 286.

During hours of operation, all firearms in a family day home licensed pursuant to § 22.1-289.011 or voluntarily registered pursuant to § 22.1-289.011 or in a family day home approved by a family day system shall be stored unloaded in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet, and all ammunition shall be stored in a separate locked container, compartment, or cabinet. The key or combination to such locked containers, compartments, or cabinets shall be inaccessible to all children in the home.

2020, cc. 910, 911, § 63.2-1701.01.

A. Each child day program that is licensed pursuant to this chapter and any program described in subdivision A 4, B 1, or B 5 of § 22.1-289.030 that serves preschool-age children shall develop and implement a plan to test potable water from sources identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as high priority, including bubbler-style and cooler-style drinking fountains, kitchen taps, classroom combination sinks and drinking fountains, home economics room sinks, teacher's lounge sinks, nurse's office sinks, classroom sinks in special education classrooms, and sinks known to be or visibly used for consumption.

B. The plan established pursuant to subsection A and the results of each test conducted pursuant to such plan shall be submitted to and reviewed by the Commissioner and the Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water.

C. If the results of any test conducted in accordance with the plan established pursuant to subsection A indicate a level of lead in the potable water that is at or above 15 parts per billion, the program shall remediate the level of lead in the potable water to below 15 parts per billion and confirm such remediation by retesting the water. The results of the retests shall be submitted to and reviewed by the Commissioner and the Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water.

D. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A or C, a child day program that is licensed pursuant to this chapter and any program described in subdivision A 4, B 1, or B 5 of § 22.1-289.030 may, in lieu of developing and implementing a plan to test potable water or of remediation, use for human consumption, as defined by § 32.1-167, bottled water, water coolers, or other similar water source that meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards for bottled water. Any program that chooses this option shall notify the Commissioner and the Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water and the parent of each child in the program of such choice.

2020, cc. 1084, 1085, § 63.2-1705.1.

Each building that was built before 2015 and that houses a child day program that is licensed pursuant to this chapter or any program described in subdivision A 4, B 1, or B 5 of § 22.1-289.030 that serves preschool-age children shall be equipped with at least one carbon monoxide detector.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 165.

A. The Board shall amend its regulations to require each child day center to implement policies for the possession and administration of epinephrine in every such center to be administered by any nurse at the center, employee at the center, or employee of a local health department who is authorized by a prescriber and trained in the administration of epinephrine to any child believed to be having an anaphylactic reaction. Such policies shall require that at least one school nurse, employee at the center, or employee of a local health department who is authorized by a prescriber and trained in the administration of epinephrine has the means to access at all times during regular facility hours any such appropriate weight-based dosage of epinephrine that is stored in a locked or otherwise generally inaccessible container or area.

B. The Board shall amend its regulations to require each family day home provider or at least one other caregiver employed by such provider in the family day home to be trained in the administration of epinephrine and to notify the parents of each child who receives care in such family day home whether the provider stores an appropriate weight-based dosage of epinephrine in the residence or home in which the family day home operates.

2022, cc. 695, 696; 2023, cc. 122, 123.