HD5 - Follow-Up Review of Child Day Care in Virginia


Executive Summary:
Item 14 J of the 1997 Appropriation Act directed JLARC to complete a follow-up review of its 1990 study of child day care. Specifically, JLARC was directed to examine:

(1) the administration, management, and funding of child care issues by state government, (2) the revised licensing structure for child day care, including but not limited to proposed regulatory changes for child day care centers, (3) staffing for the childday care licensing program, and (4) regulatory approaches in other states.

State government has been involved in regulating child care since the early 1960's JLARC's 1990 review of child care examined the question of what types of child care should be regulated and why. During the early 1990s, the general Assembly expressed its intent on both of these issues. Therefore, the focus of this report is on how the State can regulate more efficiently and effectively to promote its interest in protecting the health and safety of children in care.

The State is now also heavily involved in funding child care for low income parents and for parents moving from welfare to work. When JLARC last reviewed child care, the State expended approximately $10.6 million annually on child care assistance. In the current fiscal year, combined State, federal, and local funding for child care is expected to exceed $100 million.

This review examines the State's three principal roles in child care: (1) development of minimum standards for licensed facilities to ensure the health and safety of children in care, (2) enforcement of minimum standards, and (3) funding of child care assistance for low income families. Among the key conclusions of this study are:

• The State's regulations for child care are in the mid-range of regulations among the 50 states, but could be improved in some areas.

• The licensing program for child care providers, located within the Department of Social Services (DSS), is not adequately staffed to fulfill its statutory mandate of conducting at least two inspections per year for each licensed facility.

• DSS needs enhanced tools with which to address long-term noncompliance and serious threats to the health and safety of children in care.

• funding for day care assistance has increased significantly, particularly for families on public assistance.

• DSS's administration of child care funding has, at times, been in violation of Appropriation Act provisions.