A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-289.02 and 22.1-289.030 of the Code of Virginia, relating to child care; exemption from licensure; light family day homes.
HB744 amends Virginia’s child care licensing laws to create a new category of exempt provider called a “light family day home,” defined as a family day home caring for five through eight children under age 13, excluding the provider’s own children and children who live in the home. The bill adds this term to the definitions section and then places light family day homes into the list of child day programs that are not required to be licensed, so long as they meet specified health and safety conditions.
To qualify for the exemption, a light family day home must comply with child day program requirements in § 22.1-289.035, have an individual trained and certified in first aid and CPR present whenever children are present, follow American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep guidance, and complete a self-administered health and safety checklist. The Superintendent is authorized to inspect these homes to verify compliance with basic health and safety standards. The bill also preserves existing reporting and notice requirements for many other exempt child day programs, while explicitly carving light family day homes into the exemption framework.
The bill would amend §§ 22.1-289.02 and 22.1-289.030 of the Code of Virginia, expanding the statutory list of child care arrangements that may operate without a state license. Its practical effect is to reduce licensure burdens for small in-home child care providers serving five to eight children, while still imposing baseline safety obligations and allowing limited state inspection. It would affect family day home operators, parents using home-based child care, and the Department of Education/State Superintendent responsible for oversight of child day programs.
No committee transcript or recorded vote information is provided, so the available context does not show direct debate or formal support/opposition. Based on the bill text, the measure appears designed to balance regulatory relief for small home-based providers with child safety safeguards, suggesting a policy approach that could appeal to both child care providers seeking flexibility and lawmakers focused on basic oversight. The bill was referred to the House Education Committee and was left in Education, indicating it did not advance from committee in the available record.
The main policy issue is the tradeoff between reducing licensure requirements for small family day homes and maintaining oversight of child care settings. Supporters would likely favor the reduced regulatory burden and the recognition of small in-home care arrangements, while opponents could be concerned that exempting providers caring for up to eight children may weaken consumer protections or make enforcement harder. The bill’s requirement for CPR/first aid, safe sleep compliance, and possible inspections appears intended to address those concerns, but the extent of oversight for exempt providers remains the likely point of contention.