Action | Amend Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers to Address Federal Health and Safety Requirements |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 4/6/2018 |
I am currently a cooping parent at my daughters' preschool. She preschool loves having me in class on the days I am scheduled and I likewise love being part of her development in a structured setting. The coop offers a great sense of community and I have gotten to know the parents of my daughter's classmates in a way that would not have had I not been in class with them. When choosing a coop we knew that there would me more of a time commitment than a drop off preschool but felt that it would be worth it to be involved in a more hands on way with our daughter's development. Parent cooperative preschools, which have existed for over 100 years, are placed in jeopardy in Virginia by the Proposed Amended Standards. Current Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers recognize the critical role of parent volunteers in the parent cooperative preschool model by including for cooperative parents an exception requiring limited training annually. This exception recognizes the unique role that parents hold in a cooperative preschool, as well as the intrinsic value of an early childhood education model premised on parent involvement. The additional burden imposed by Proposed Amended Standards may cause us to have to put our daughter in a drop off preschool ant that would be sad for all involved.