Child Care Aware of Virginia's child care mapping project is designed to enable viewers to see the various types of child care programs throughout Virginia. Overlayed with child poverty data (varying shades of red with red shading darkening as poverty levels increase), it is clear that some high poverty areas have few licensed (or quality rated) child care programs for families. Each of the maps can be viewed from a statewide perspective or viewers can zoom in to see counties, communities, or neighborhoods. A legend within each  map denotes the type of child care (e.g., licensed or registered homes, licensed centers, license-exempt care, etc.). 

The maps below can be viewed and are interactive (i.e., users can check or uncheck variables they would like to see in the map). Data reflects operating status as of October 2021. 

Mapping Quick Tips:

• Click on the map to link to a categorical map that shows programs
• Zoom in to see counties, communities or neighborhoods
• On the left panel, view the legend to see the color coding symbols for types of child care
• On the left panel, click on "content" to check or uncheck various categories
• County poverty levels are reflected with various shades of red (the darkest indicating highest poverty)
• While viewing the map, click on the symbols/colors to see a pop-up box with program details (e.g., infant care, nontraditional hour care, etc.).
• Poverty or % of children in households where all parents are working. The background of the maps is set to the poverty percentage of the area. You can change that feature to show the % of children in households where all parents are working. This turns the background color to purple (i.e., the darkest purple color reflects the greatest % of children in working families. As the purple shade becomes lighter, the % of children in working families declines).
• Map loading time may take a few seconds so be patient!

Search for Child Care

Looking for child care? Information for parents!

Click here to see licensed and voluntary registered family child care homes in Virginia.

Click here to see licensed child care centers in Virginia.

Click here to see Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Virginia.

Family Child Care Homes

Child Care Centers

All Child Care Programs

Click here to see all child care programs in Virginia. It takes a few minutes for all of the variables to load. Visitors may want to unclick all the layer options (types of child care) once the map fully loads, and click on layers as you want to add each to the map. Zoom in to check out your neighborhood!  Change the background from percentage of poverty to percentage of children with working parents (under the content tab on the left, just click off "ACS poverty status" and click on "ACS Children by Parent Labor Force Participation".  ACS stands for American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Head Start and Early Head Start

Programs participating in VA Quality

Click here to see child care programs that participate in VA Quality. Each quality level in the quality system in represented by a different color (e.g., level 1 programs are in blue, level 2 programs are in green, etc.).  Learn more about VA Quality here.

School-Aged Child Care Programs

Click here to see school-age child care programs in Virginia.

License-Exempt Child Care Programs

Click here to see religious license-exempt child care centers andi voluntary registered home-based child care in Virginia.

Child Care Aware of Virginia Mapping

Licensed child care centers, licensed preschools, and licensed school-age child care programs involve children under the age of 13 and are offered in a facility that is not the residence of the provider. Background checks are required as well as health and safety standards that are subject to 2 inspections per year.

DoD approved child care centers involve child care programs on federal property. These programs meet standards comparable to state licensing and are overseen by the Department of Defense.

Certified preschools are operated by private schools that are accredited by a statewide accrediting organization (or another accrediting organization recognized by the Board of Education). They are exempt from licensing but can voluntary become licensed.

Licensed child care homes involve providers who care for 5 or more unrelated children in their home.  Background checks are required as well as health and safety standards that are subject to 2 inspections per year.

Voluntary registered child care homes involve providers who care for up to 4 unrelated children in their home. Background checks are required and providers must complete a self-assessment of compliance using a health and safety checklist. A random sample of inspections occurs every year.

Northern Virginia (in addition to offering state licensed programs) exercises local authority to regulate small family child care homes – homes where providers care for 4 or fewer unrelated children that operate under a local permit. Local ordinances require permits in Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax County.  In addition, northern Virginia houses a family day system (a group of home providers that operate as a network).

Religious license-exempt programs. Child care centers operated by religious institutions may be exempt from licensure if certain documents are submitted to the Virginia Department of Social Services prior to opening the center and then annually prior to the expiration date of their license exemption.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal program that offers reimbursement for nutritious meals and snacks for participating providers serving low income children.

For additional information including more detailed descriptions of each licensing type, see the Virginia Department of Education web site.  

Brief Child Care Licensing Definitions

Northern Virginia Local Permits for Child Care Homes and home-based providers participating in a family day home system (network).

Click here to see home-based providers caring for 4 or fewer children under a local permit in northern Virginia and home-based providers participating in a family day home system.

Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) Programs

Click here to see VPI programs in Virginia.

Centers and Home-based programs participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

Click here to see programs participating in CACFP in Virginia. CACFP offers reimbursement for nutritious meals and snacks in centers and homes serving low-income children.  CACFP data used in this map is self-reported by providers.

Vendors Participating in the Child Care Subsidy Program

Click here to see center-based and home-based child care providers participating in Virginia's child care subsidy program.