NORFOLK, Va. — More Virginia families are weighing the cost of full-time childcare. It's quickly becoming one of their largest expenses, topping $22,000 a year for just one child.
"There is a national shortage of childcare providers. And oftentimes, families find themselves on waiting lists as they're pursuing childcare, especially for children that are younger," said Madonna Flores, family services supervisor with the Norfolk Department of Human Services (DHS).
She said parents are seeking out more affordable childcare options that don't compromise on safety and quality. It's one of the reasons why DHS is working to bolster its pool of recognized in-home providers, noting that they are often less expensive than other programs.
"We do [want to] make sure that the children are safe while they are in care, but there are many providers who have been doing this great work and doing it really well," Flores said. "And we want to support them, let them know that they're not alone, and that there are resources to assist them."
Norfolk City Council adopted an ordinance to require licensing of home-based, paid childcare providers to one or more children in August 2022. The state only requires licensure for providers to five or more children.
The move shifted the focus of the DHS-run Home-Based Childcare Network (HCN), which launched in 2021 to certify in-home caregivers.
"The intended purpos[e] is to create a structured regulation of family day homes in the City of Norfolk," said Flores, who serves as the network's program administrator. "Our first step was to start to engage those providers in Norfolk-- to find them, to talk to them about the work that they're doing, [and] to see how we could be a support."
She noted that the significant increase in the need for childcare during the COVID-19 pandemic also led to the launch of HCN.
"Many people were seeking childcare within family settings," she said. "There were some instances in which some children were harmed. And that began to have our city leadership... along with our director to look into the structure and oversight of family day homes."
The network provides licensure training, which can take up to eight months and covers topics like first aid & CPR, reporting child abuse & neglect, safe sleep practices, social development, and creating a supportive environment within the home.
DHS has partnered with several city and community organizations to support in-home childcare providers, including the Virginia Department of Education (which manages the state licensing process); Child Care Aware of Virginia; Norfolk Department of City Planning (which helps providers get zoning approval); Alternatives, Inc.; Carrington Consulting (which has facilitated some training and helped implement HCN); Norfolk Commissioner of the Revenue; Norfolk Department of Economic Development (which helps to identify grant opportunities for small business owners); Ready Region Southeastern/EVMS Minus 9 to 5; United States Department of the Navy; Sleeptight Hampton Roads; Old Dominion University Women's Business Center; The Planning Council; and The Operation Child Care Project.
Flores noted that HCN not only supports children's safety and parents' peace of mind but also opens entrepreneurship opportunities for caregivers.
"We're not here to, you know, shut down anything that people are doing currently. Our goal and message is to have them come out of the shadows, to have them come and work with us," she said. "We really wanted to... first and foremost, look at the safety of the children that are in care to make sure that we are supporting these providers in getting the proper training, to help them be informed of best practices, [and] to help them with legitimizing their business. And so, they do, you know, obtain zoning and approval. They have to obtain a business license. They also have to register their business with the state."
Virginia lawmakers allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to childcare in the state's new, 2-year budget to help ease financial strain.
Meanwhile, Flores said DHS has helped license 53% of the state-identified in-home childcare providers that operate in Norfolk and is currently working with 20 more, aiming to ensure more first-rate options for families.
"We are increasing the accessibility of childcare in the City of Norfolk to let parents know that there is a licensing process," she said. "And if they're seeking childcare, to really do so with those providers who have received the proper training and are operating legally in the City of Norfolk."
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a home-based childcare provider in Norfolk, you can attend an interest meeting on July 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Department of Human Services at 741 Monticello Avenue. The event is free, and you do not need to register in advance.
You can also click here to access the in-home childcare provider interest form. Flores said DHS will reach out to people who fill out the form within 48 hours. Orientation for the next HCN cohort is September 18.