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 oppose the elimination of the exemptions § 63.2-1715 of the Code of Virginia. Eliminating these exemptions would eliminate businesses that allow child-minding services to be offered in settings that would be unable to adhere to all licensing requirements, such as businesses providing drop-in care for children while adults utilize services on-site (i.e. churches, gyms, co-working spaces, etc). These services are needed in our state to support healthy parents and families.
Eliminating these exemptions will only hurt the parents and inflict financial strain on families who utilize these services. How are parents supposed to exercise at the gym without the use of on-site child-minding services? How will children attend Sunday school while their parents attend religious service? Or parents who use co-working sites that offer limited on-site child care? How are preschool-aged children supposed to attend dance class, or martial arts, or music, or STEM programs?
It is simply not feasible for most of these types of businesses to pursue child care licensing, whether because of actual physical restrictions (such as the indoor and outdoor space required of licensed child care centers), or because of actions that would be cumbersome to families for simply partaking in part-time child minding services, (example: families would be required to give the facility children’s immunization and physical examination records). These are just a couple of examples.
Eliminating these exemptions will only HURT PARENTS and inhibit them from utilizing helpful resources. Please reconsider this action so these crucial services can continue to be available for Virginia families.