January is all about fresh starts – a time when families, child care professionals, and community advocates across Virginia look to the year ahead with renewed energy and purpose. At Child Care Aware of Virginia, the new year inspires us to set bold, meaningful goals for 2026 and beyond. Whether you’re a parent navigating child care options, a provider working to strengthen your program, or an advocate raising your voice for better policies, we’re here to help you turn your resolutions into real progress.
As we welcome this new year, let’s take a closer look at how our programs, resources, and advocacy efforts partner with communities to build a brighter future for all of Virginia’s children.
Families: Start the Year with Confidence
Finding the right child care is one of the most important decisions a family can make – and it’s natural to feel both excited and uncertain about the process. Child Care Aware of Virginia is here to provide guidance, support, and tolls you need to make choices that feel right for your family.
Navigating Child Care Choices
Financial Assistance and Support
The start of a new year often means big decisions for families – whether you’re searching for child care for the first time, preparing your child for a new classroom, or re-evaluating your current provider. We’re here to help make the process simpler and less stressful.
Our website is full of resources to help you:
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Compare child care programs and recognize the signs of high-quality care
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Learn about safety and quality standards, so you can make informed choices
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Take our free, self-paced online course, Understanding Child Care in Virginia: Why Quality Care Matters, for a comprehensive overview of your options
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Increase the safety of the children in your home by becoming a Safety Ambassador
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Discover practical parenting tips on everything from preparing for child care to creating a family emergency plan, all through our regular blog posts
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Connect one-on-one with our Referral Specialist
Child care is a significant investment, but you don’t have to navigate the costs alone. Child Care Aware of Virginia connects you with resources that can make child care more affordable for your family.
While we don’t directly manage or oversee financial assistance programs, we help families access information about:
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The Child Care Subsidy Program, managed by the Virginia Department of Social Services
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The Military Fee Assistance Program, managed by Child Care Aware of America
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Other local and government assistance programs, such as Mixed Delivery and Head Start/Early Head Start
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Referral searches for programs that offer in-house support, including sliding fee scales, scholarships, or discounts for active duty military or first responders.
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Visit our website to learn more about your options.
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Check out our quick reference flyer for more information!
See what real families in Virginia had to say:
“Your services have been most helpful and encouraging. I really would have struggled without your help!“
“I found child care in my area I wasn’t even aware of. I’m not due till May so I’m just focused on getting on waitlists, but it feels so good to have a jump start on all of this before the baby comes. Thank you!”
“The referral specialist was phenomenal and reached out often. Please thank her so much!”
Action Step for the New Year
Set aside one afternoon this month to review your current child care arrangements – or start your search if you’re looking for something new. Use our Choosing Quality Child Care Guide to evaluate your provider or spot signs of quality during tours. If you have questions, our Referral Specialist is just a call away!
Want helpful tips delivered straight to your mailbox? Sign up for our Parent Newsletters so you’re always in the know!
Providers: Strengthen Your Program in 2026
Running a child care program is both rewarding and challenging, and Child Care Aware of Virginia is here to support you every step of the way.
Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, you face daily decisions that shape the lives of children and families in your care. The work you do is at the heart of strong communities – helping children grow, supporting parents, and creating safe, nurturing spaces where everyone can thrive. We understand these unique pressures and joys, which is why we offer more than just training and resources – we’re your partner in celebrating successes, overcoming challenges, and making a lasting impact.
Here’s how our support has made a difference for providers across Virginia:
“This training has been enlightening & I will have more empathy and understanding for our students, especially the children who tend to act out. I will be proactive rather than reactive.”
“The training was very helpful and was thoroughly taught by the instructor. The instructor was very knowledgeable about the subject matter and shared real-life applications to enhance our understanding.”
Whether you need assistance with child development, business operations, or tackling day-to-day challenges, our Child Care Specialists are here to tailor their support to meet your unique goals for 2026. We provide:
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Expert-led trainings on topics like trauma-informed care, business management, and quality improvement.
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Hands-on coaching and technical consultation, personalized to your program’s needs
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Guidance on staff development, daily operations, and practical resources to strengthen your program
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Resources to help you grow, adapt, and deliver the highest quality care
Action Step for the New Year
Kick off the New Year by upgrading your marketing plan – a strong marketing strategy is one of the best ways to attract new families and grow your program’s reputation. Use our Opening a Child Care Business guide for step-by-step tips on building your brand, reaching out to your community, and making your program stand out.
Ready to take your program to the next level in 2026? Schedule a meeting with a Child Care Specialist and discover the difference personalized support can make!
Raise Your Voice: Advocacy and Community Engagement
Every voice matters – especially when it comes to shaping the future of child care in Virginia. At Child Care Aware of Virginia, we know that real progress happens when families, providers, and advocates come together to share their stories and push for positive change.
Last year, we focused on strengthening the systems that help children thrive – helping families navigate their options, supporting providers with coaching and business resources, and using data to shine a light on where care is most needed. We doubled down on what matters most: quality, safety, and access. Whether it was launching a new learning platform for providers or expanding resources for employers, our efforts were always rooted in making child care more accessible, sustainable, and equitable for everyone in Virginia.
How Can You Get Involved in 2026?
None of this work happens in isolation. With the help of partners, providers, advocates, and families like you, we’re building a stronger child care system—one that supports working families today and sets children up for success tomorrow.
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Share Your Story: Your experiences help lawmakers and decision-makers understand the real needs of families and providers in Virginia. Submit your story and help us amplify your voice.
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Join the Conversation: Save the date for our 2026 Coffee Chat with Legislators on February 4th outside of the General Assembly Building. Enjoy coffee and conversation with parents, providers, and advocates – and help keep quality child care at the forefront of policy discussions. Learn more about Coffee Chat.
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Access Advocacy Tools: We offer easy-to-use fact sheets, action alerts, and resources to help you get involved at any level. Explore our Education and Action Center to get started.
Action Step for the New Year
Mark your calendar for the 2026 Coffee Chat on February 4th and invite a colleague or friend to join you. Taking part in this annual event is a powerful way to connect, learn, and make your voice heard at the heart of Virginia policy discussions.
Data Spotlight: Reflecting on Last Year’s Wins
Behind every story of progress is the data that drives it. By tracking our impact and sharing up-to-date resources, we help families, providers, and community leaders see where child care is thriving—and where more support is needed across Virginia.
Data Tools in Action
Reliable data is essential to building a stronger child care system. In FY25, Child Care Aware of Virginia continued to develop and share tools that help communities, employers, and policymakers better understand local child care needs.
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Our Locality Fact Sheets provide a clear snapshot of child care availability in every Virginia locality – including the number of programs by regulation and type, licensed capacity, and self-reported costs of care. Over the past year, these fact sheets were accessed 1,515 times, helping leaders and families quickly grasp the child care landscape in their areas.
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The interactive Child Care Mapping Project lets users explore programs across the state, view types alongside child poverty rates and the percentage of children in working families, and zoom in on specific regions to see both centers and home based options. In FY25, the Mapping Project was accessed 2,078 times, providing valuable insights for planning, decision making, and advocacy.
FY25 Impact at a Glance
👨👩👧 4,675 Families Served
💼 1M ECE Job Hub Views
👩🏽🏫 9,243 Providers Received Support
🔍 27,433 Child Care Searches
🧩 2,798 Hours of Coaching
📄 1,515 Fact Sheet Views
🎓 395 Training Events
📣 1,157 Outreach Activities
📝 86,987 Job Applications Submitted
💰 $844,485 Capitol Accessed by Providers with CCAoVA Support (VSFBA)
Curious about last year’s progress? Check out our full 2025 Impact Report for a deeper look at the difference we made together.
Action Step for the New Year
Take five minutes this month to explore our Child Care Mapping Project or review your community’s Locality Fact Sheet. See how child care is shaping up in your area—and share what you learn with a neighbor, parent group, or local leader. The more informed our communities are, the stronger our advocacy for accessible, quality care will be!
Let’s Make This Year Count – Together!
For more than 30 years, Child Care Aware of Virginia has been here for families, children, child care professionals, and communities statewide. As we move into 2026, we’re committed to bringing you the resources, training, and advocacy you need to succeed.
Thank you for being part of this journey—and for everything you do to build a brighter future for Virginia’s children!