Action | Amend Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers to Address Federal Health and Safety Requirements |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 4/6/2018 |
On behalf of Annandale Cooperative Preschool, where my daughter currently attends, and Valley Drive Preschool where my son will attend for the 2018-2019 school year, 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 and 1958 Annandale Cooperative Preschool and Valley Drive Preschool respectively have 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.
Being a part of a cooperative program for my child's education has allowed our family to enjoy a cohesive, involved, safe, quality and affordable early education experience. My wish would be for all families to have the opportunity we do, but these proposed changes would rob so many of that opportunity.
I look forward to your response.
Nicole Craig