Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Education
 
Board
State Board of Education
 
chapter
Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers [8 VAC 20 ‑ 781]
Action Revisions to the Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers
Stage Proposed
Comment Period Ends 1/30/2026
spacer
Previous Comment     Next Comment     Back to List of Comments
1/16/26  3:33 pm
Commenter: Atlas Savage, Our Neighborhood Child Development Center

Soft Items
 

The intention of 8VAC20-781-420 D is to be sure soft things are kept clean; I think adding that they shall be washable is useful, but having to wash everything each week will create a huge burden and ultimately likely decrease young children’s access to soft items in their environment.
Already tired teachers will reduce the stuffed animals, dress up clothes, and floor pillows that make classrooms cozy because weekly washing is not sustainable. In our program, we wash things like the covers for our Nugget couch cushions and futon covers monthly, which seems a lot more practical and much less likely to have unintended consequences. Imagine a child’s stuffed animal, how many washes do you think it could sustain. Required weekly washing will decrease the quality and the quantity of the materials available to children.  

 

CommentID: 238936