Daycares in Virginia
Virginia scores licensed daycares through VQB5 (Virginia Quality Birth to Five), the state's quality rating program. VQB5 sorts providers into three tiers — Needs Support, Meets Expectations, and Exceeds Expectations — using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) across three domains: emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support.
Virginia's minimum legal requirements meet the standards published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the leading professional accreditation body for early- childhood programs and the most widely cited benchmark for high- quality care, on infant ratios, but the state's other minimums are looser than NAEYC's recommendations. The state caps infant ratios at 1:4 (matching NAEYC), toddler ratios at 1:5 (stricter than NAEYC's 1:6), and does not set a single rule on preschool ratios (which vary by provider). Group sizes are loose: infant groups can hold 12 (NAEYC: 8), toddler groups can hold 15 (NAEYC: 12), and preschool group sizes vary by provider. The state does not set a single rule on lead-teacher credentials, and required pre-service training is 24 hours (NAEYC: ≥2,080). Required ongoing professional development is 16 hours per year (NAEYC: ≥25).
These minimum legal requirements apply to every licensed daycare in Virginia, regardless of its VQB5 rating. They are one of the Structural inputs in every Childery rating shown above. The rating distribution above combines that Structural input with VQB5 scores and other Process inputs to produce the Overall scores. For the full breakdown, see the Virginia methodology page.
Rating Distribution in Virginia
These are Childery's Overall Ratings (1–5 stars) — our composite that combines this state's QRIS where it exists, national accreditation (NAEYC, NAC, NECPA, NAFCC), federal Head Start CLASS scores, and the state regulatory baseline. They are not the state's stand-alone QRIS score. See our methodology for the full breakdown.
Mean rating across all displayed daycares in Virginia: 2.0 (Sample of 3,293).
Process rating across all displayed daycares in Virginia: 2.0 (Sample of 3,268).
Structural rating across all displayed daycares in Virginia: 3.3 (Sample of 3,293).
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Frequently Asked Questions
- How many licensed daycares are in Virginia?
- Childery tracks 3,293 licensed child care providers across Virginia.
- How do Virginia daycares score on teaching quality?
- Virginia daycares average 2.0 out of 5 on Childery's Process score, which combines state QRIS ratings, national accreditations (NAEYC, NAC, NECPA), and federal Head Start CLASS scores. 3,268 providers have classroom-quality data.
- Which cities in Virginia have the most daycares?
- The cities with the most licensed daycares in Virginia are Alexandria (261), Richmond (144), and Virginia Beach (143).
- Is there financial help for childcare in Virginia?
- Virginia offers childcare financial assistance for income-eligible families. See income limits, waitlist status, priority groups, and how to apply.Childcare subsidies in Virginia
- How do I choose a good daycare in Virginia?
- Childery's guide covers what to look for when touring daycares in Virginia, questions to ask providers, and how to use quality ratings when comparing options.How to find a good daycare in Virginia
- How does Childery rate daycares in Virginia?
- Childery's Overall Rating (1–5 stars) combines Virginia's state QRIS where available, national accreditations (NAEYC, NAC, NECPA), federal Head Start CLASS scores, and the state regulatory baseline.View Childery's Virginia methodology