CHAPTER 456
An Act to amend and reenact § 22.1-289.03 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public education; early childhood care and education; child care access calculations; report.
[H 1208]
Approved April 8, 2026
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 22.1-289.03 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 22.1-289.03 . Early childhood care and education system; establishment; need-based and demand-based funding.
A. The Board shall establish a statewide unified public-private system for early childhood care and education in the Commonwealth to ensure that every child has the opportunity to enter kindergarten healthy and ready to learn. Such system shall be administered by the Board, the Superintendent, and the Department and shall be formed, implemented, and sustained through a structure that engages and leverages both state-level authority and regional-level public-private partnership assets.
B. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the system established pursuant to subsection A shall (i) provide families with coordinated access for referral to early childhood education programs, (ii) provide families with easy-to-understand information about the quality of publicly funded early childhood care and education programs, (iii) establish expectations for the continuous improvement of early childhood care and education programs, and (iv) establish shared expectations for early childhood care and education programs among the Department of Education, the Department of Social Services, local school divisions, and state and regional stakeholders.
C. The system established pursuant to subsection A shall consist of a combination of programs offered through (i) the Virginia Preschool Initiative, pursuant to § 22.1-289.09 , or any other school-based early childhood care and education program; (ii) licensed programs, pursuant to Article 3 (§ 22.1-289.010 et seq.); and (iii) unlicensed programs, pursuant to Article 4 (§ 22.1-289.030 et seq.).
D. To address family demand and preferences for affordable, high-quality early childhood care and education services, state general funds that support the provision of services to families for early childhood care and education shall be provided as specified in the general appropriation act. Each year, no later than November 15, the Department shall report to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations the projected general funds needed for the upcoming two fiscal years based on cost of quality rate per child in order to (i) maintain the current number of slots, (ii) increase the number of slots using a projected growth rate, and (iii) increase the number of slots to fully accommodate parent demand and eliminate waitlists the Department shall establish and maintain calculations that shall be used to provide a cost estimate for funding needed per biennium to address parental demand . Such projected general funds to meet such needs calculations shall be based on include :