Proposed Regulations

8VAC20-781-650 Animals and pets

C. Monkeys, bats, ferrets, poisonous or dangerous animals, reptiles, psittacine birds (birds of the parrot family), shall not be accessible to children during the hours children are in care and the licensee shall ensure that children shall not have direct physical contact with the animals. The licensee shall ensure that children do not come in physical contact with stray or wild animals.

While there are illnesses that can be carried by the animals that are limited by this regulation, there is not data to assert additional regulation is needed. Reptiles in particular are banned in many states and we have not found any evidence that Virginia has higher cases of salmonella or that salmonella is being transferred to children through contact with reptiles in their child care centers.

Additionally an excerpt from the FDA below details the statistics that show 

The Statistics at a Glance
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that each year in the U.S., there are about 1.35 million cases of salmonellosis, with 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths. Contaminated food is the source for most of these cases. (https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/get-facts-about-salmonella#:~:text=The%20Centers%20for%20Disease%20Control,for%20most%20of%20these%20cases.)

If there are additional regulations needed, consider requiring parental notification, parental permission, or other safety policies created by the center in order to have these creatures at school. This will create a space where parents are in control of what their children are exposed to rather than blanket banning pets who can add value and learning to schools.