As a parent and a university educator, I am writing to strongly advocate for updating the supervision requirements to reflect actual child development research. The current requirement to supervise school-aged children (up to age 10) with the same "constant sight and sound" intensity as infants is not only illogical, it is actively counterproductive to their growth.

To build competency, children require what educators call "scaffolding"—the ability to practice independence in a safe, controlled environment. Policing a 9-year-old’s every movement prevents them from developing the self-efficacy and sense of purpose they need for school readiness. We should not allow fear to override good judgment and learning.

I recommend Virginia adopt the following language, which aligns with NAEYC recommendations and balances safety with developmental needs:

"(1) For preschool children, staff must supervise by sight and sound most of the time. Supervision by sound alone is also permissible for short intervals, under five minutes, as long as staff check on children who are out of sight and children are always in a safe area. (2) For school-age children doing tasks in a safe environment, they may be out of sight and sound supervision for up to ten minutes provided staff are nearby so they can provide immediate intervention if needed."

This change would bring childcare settings in line with other environments, such as elementary schools, where children are trusted to walk to a nurse's office or restroom. Please allow our providers the flexibility to teach responsibility.