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Virginia Department of Social Services

Annual Statistical Report

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Licensing Programs

Child Day Care and Family Day Facilities

How this program helps people

Child day care centers are defined as programs offering care to two or more children under age 13 in a facility that is not the residence of the provider or of any of the children in care. The Division of Licensing Programs licenses or regulates centers to protect the safety, health, and well-being of children in day care centers.

Licensed short-term child day care centers are child day programs that operate for part of the year only, such as summer camps.

Family day homes are defined as child day programs offered in the residence of the provider, or the home of any of the children in care, for up to twelve children under age 13, excluding the provider’s children or children who reside in the home, when at least one child receives care for compensation. Family day homes must be licensed when they serve between 6 and 12 children, excluding the provider’s children or children who reside in the home.

Family day systems providers approve family day homes and refer children to their member (family day) homes. Unless licensed or voluntarily registered, family day homes may care for no more than four children under age 2, including the provider’s children or children who reside in the home.

Tracking early child care providers is now managed by the Virginia Department of Education. Beginning with SFY 2022, VDSS will no longer report new statistics on this program.

Unlicensed, Registered Child Care Facilities

How this program helps people

Child care facilities that choose not to be licensed must meet health and safety requirements and submit documentation to VDSS.

A religious exempt center is a child day care center sponsored by a religious institution that may choose to be unlicensed.

A voluntarily registered family day home is a home in which care is provided to five or fewer children, excluding the provider’s children or children who reside in the home.

A certified pre-school center operates as a pre-school accredited in conjunction with a private school.

Tracking early child care providers is now managed by the Virginia Department of Education. Beginning with SFY 2022, VDSS will no longer report new statistics on this program.

Child Residential Care

How this program helps people

Child residential care includes children’s residential facilities, child placing agencies, child caring institutions, and independent foster homes. All four institutions serve children up to 18 years of age who may or may not be in foster care

Children’s residential facilities are institutions or group homes that provide licensed full-time care, protection, guidance and may also provide independent living services to those between 18 and 21 years old who may be transitioning out of foster care

Child placing agencies are private-sector agencies that provide adoption, foster care, and related services.

Child caring institutions are facilities that do not accept public funding and are licensed by VDSS under statutorily fixed standards.

Independent foster homes are private family homes where children reside for no more than 180 days; their placement is made by a parent or guardian, independent of a child placing agency.

Assisted Living and Adult Day Care Facilities

How this program helps people

Assisted living facilities (ALFs) are non-medical residential settings that provide or coordinate personal and health care services, 24-hour supervision, care, and assistance to four or more adults who are aged, infirm or disabled

Assisted living facilities are not nursing homes. Nursing homes are facilities in which the primary function is the provision of continuous nursing and health-related services for treatment and in-patient care of two or more non-related individuals. The Department of Health regulates nursing homes.

Adult day care facilities, which must be licensed if operated for profit and may be licensed if non-profit, are non-residential facilities that provide a variety of health, social, and related support services in a protective setting during part of the day, to four or more aged, infirm, or disabled adults who reside elsewhere.

Criminal Background Investigations

How this program helps people

The Office of Background Investigation helps ensure children’s safety by conducting national criminal fingerprint background investigations on:

(1) employees, volunteers, and contractual service workers at children’s residential facilities that are licensed or operated by the Departments of Education, Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Social Services (in accordance with Code of Virginia Section 63.2-1726); and

(2) foster and adoptive parents, relatives, birth parents and adult household members for private child-placing agencies, and local departments of social services in accordance with Code of Virginia Section 63.2-901.1.

Child Protective Services - Central Registry Activity

How this program helps people

The CPS central registry is a database that stores information on "founded" dispositions of child maltreatment. The time frame for retention of database information is established by the Virginia Administrative Code (22 VAC 40-700-30).

Registry searches are triggered upon request of a local DSS agency, upon receipt of a notarized signature of an individual whose name is being searched, or upon court order. The search determines whether an individual, who may work alone with children, is in the registry and whether their reason for inclusion in the registry precludes them working with children.

When a name is found, Central Registry must contact the local DSS to verify the information, and the local agency must verify and/or correct the information.

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