The decision to stop covering the cost of criminal background checks for childcare workers creates a significant and unnecessary barrier for both current providers and those seeking to enter the field. Childcare professionals are already among the lowest-paid essential workers, and requiring them to shoulder these fees risks discouraging qualified individuals from joining or remaining in the workforce. At a time when families across Virginia are already facing limited access to affordable childcare, this added financial burden will likely exacerbate staffing shortages and reduce the availability of care options for working parents.

Background checks are a critical component of maintaining safe, high-quality childcare environments, and the responsibility for ensuring these safeguards should not fall on individual workers or small providers. By reinstating state support for these costs, the Commonwealth can demonstrate its commitment to both child safety and workforce stability. Repealing this change would help remove unnecessary barriers, support providers, and ultimately strengthen Virginia’s early childhood system for families and communities alike.