I am a licensed family day home provider in Virginia, and I oppose the proposed requirement for all childcare providers to purchase and maintain stock EpiPens.

This mandate creates financial strain for small programs like mine. Stock EpiPens are expensive, expire quickly, and would need to be replaced regularly. Requiring additional specialized training that I would have to pay for adds another burden.

This proposal also places medical responsibility and liability on providers who are not medical professionals. Diagnosing anaphylaxis and administering medication to children without known allergies or prescriptions is unsafe and puts providers at legal risk.

I am committed to keeping children safe, but this requirement is not practical, not affordable, and not appropriate for family day homes. I respectfully ask that this mandate be reconsidered.

Thank you for reviewing my comment.