On behalf of Annandale Cooperative Preschool I am requesting changes to the Proposed Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers, specifically in regard to the requirements for staff orientation and ongoing training.
Since 1947 Annandale Cooperative Preschool has been a place for parents to actively participate in their children’s education by working directly in our classrooms as teachers’ aides.  The new requirements for staff orientation (22VAC40-185-240) and ongoing training (22VAC40-185-245) would impose an undue burden on our parents by expecting them to complete 16 hours of orientation and 20 hours per year of ongoing training.  Parents who are volunteering their time are simply not going to be willing or able to complete the same orientation and training requirements as our paid classroom teachers.   
We request that the total number of training hours (both orientation and ongoing, collectively) for cooperative preschool parents be limited to the current 4 hours. Please remove the language "who are not considered staff" from section 22VAC40-185-245C describing the required annual training for cooperative preschool parents. Please include an exception for cooperative preschool parents in the new orientation training section 22VAC40-185-240.
Parents working in classrooms at Annandale Cooperative Preschool complete all of the background checks outlined in Background Checks for Child Welfare Agencies.  They work under the direct supervision of well qualified classroom teachers in our award winning, NAEYC accredited program.
If the orientation and ongoing training sections of the proposed standards are not changed, cooperative preschools like ours will be forced to hire additional staff, making the cost prohibitive for many of our families.  Cooperative schools may have to close as parents are unwilling to enroll their children in programs which put unreasonable burdens on them.  Either outcome robs children of the high quality, affordable early education that cooperative preschools provide.
For three years, my children and grown and thrived at Annandale Cooperative Preschool.  Both of my children have learned how to successfully socially engage other children, constructively express emotions, and independently accomplish new tasks.  These traits, and so many more, are taught in a "learning through play" environment that is welcoming, loving, and supportive.  This is all thanks to the community that is comprised of dedicated parents. 

Many of the parents and families rearrange work schedules and coordinate with caretakers in an effort to meet the current requirements of the cooperative preschool.  Adding several more hours of training to the orientation process and the continuing education units would create undo pressure on these families.  My husband and I are both working professionals, and I have elected to work part-time while my children are young so that I can actively participate in programs such as Annandale Cooperative Preschool.  However, I can honestly say that if a cooperative preschool asked me to complete 16 hours of orientation training and 20 hours of annual continuing education, I would choose a traditional preschool.  For my professional license, I am required to complete 20 hours of continuing education, and I barely have the time to do that.  It would be time and cost prohibitive to participate in a cooperative preschool if these regulations are passed.  While completing these excessive trainings, I would lose money by taking time off of work, I would likely have to pay for the continuing education hours, and it would be time away from my children for a non-paid position, which would cost more money for childcare.  Though this is my personal feeling, I believe that many other families in similar situations would be likely to make the same choice.  By passing these regulations, you may be effectively ruining cooperative preschools for the foreseeable future.  That would truly be a shame as I have had the wonderful opportunity to watch my children grow and flourish in a cooperative preschool environment.  In addition, I truly believe that participating in the classroom and aiding the teachers has helped me to be a better parent.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Tara Soligan


Thank you!T