Northern Virginia Preschool and Child Care

Virginia Department of Social Services has information regarding child care in the Commonwealth. For more specific information, each county and some cities have materials to assist parents in finding care for their children. Visit the following links for area specific information:

• City of Alexandria
  Visit this site for the Tips on Choosing Child Care, as well as additional links on their web site.


• Arlington County Department of Child and Family Services
  Scroll down to Child Care and you can obtain a list of day care facilities and family day care providers. In addition, you'll find links from this page to other family services resources.


• Child Care Central
  From the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, this site offers a wealth of information from child care assistance forms to links to current research on children.


• Fairfax County Child Supervision Guidelines
  This page outlines the legal requirements for leaving children home alone.


• Fairfax County SACC Program
  School-Age Child Care program information including eligibility and fees.


• Loudoun County Youth Services Division
  Information regarding Child Services from the Youth Services Division.


• Loudoun County Child Care Contact List
  Listing of Child Care Associations and Support Groups.


• Prince William County Child Care Topics
  Provides links to popular topics in child care and general information from the county, including licensing information and a list of child care providers.

Finding Quality Early Education Programs

Quality early childhood education has a positive influence on a child's life both now and in the future. Strong early childhood education programs help young children develop emotionally, so they are trusting and self-confident; socially, so they respect all people and make and keep friendships; and intellectually, so their natural curiosity thrives and they can learn about their world. Good early learning programs have several elements in common. Here are a few tips for parents as recommended by the Office for Children.

Teachers who are:

• Trained in Early Childhood Education.
• Warm and accepting with all children.
• Open and friendly towards families.
• Energetic and fun loving.
• Happy to be with children all day.

Rooms that are:

• Arranged in interest areas, such as blocks, science, dress up, books, table toys and music.
• Clean and safe.
• Uncluttered and aesthetically pleasing.
• Inviting, interesting, and offer children choices.
• Reflective of the children's interests and cultural backgrounds.

Playgrounds that are:

• Safe and well supervised.
• Well-equipped for running, jumping, climbing, digging, pretending, water play and quiet activities.
• Both shady and sunny.

Materials that are:

• Safe, attractive, well constructed, and in good repair.
• Able to be used for more than one purpose.
• Aids to the child's imagination, curiosity, and creativity.
• Challenging enough to be fun, but not frustrating.
• Abundant, so children have choices without long waits.

~ Information obtained from an Early Childhood Education Fact Sheet Distributed by the Office for Children.