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Call for Nominations for Vacancies on the Early Childhood Advisory Committee (ECAC)
Applications Due March 28
The VDOE is accepting applications for several vacancies on the Early Childhood Advisory Committee (ECAC), which advises the Board of Education on all programs, systems, and regulations related to Virginia’s unified public-private early childhood system. ECAC membership is established in § 22.1-289.04 of the Code of Virginia.
All interested applicants are invited to apply by completing the nomination form by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 28. Applicants must meet the criteria associated with the position to be considered for appointment.
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Child Care Centers and Family Day Homes
Summer 2025 Applications for the Virginia Child Care Provider Scholarship Program - Accepted through April 28
Early care and education professionals taking Early Childhood Development courses at Virginia’s Community Colleges and accredited Montessori Certification Programs may apply for Summer 2025 scholarships through April 28. Students may request scholarships for up to two APPROVED COURSES per semester. Students requesting scholarships need to register for courses prior to submitting a scholarship application to be sure the courses are offered during the applicable semester.
New Mailing Address for the Northern Office of Child Care Health and Safety (OCCHS)
The mailing address for the Northern Office of Child Care Health and Safety has changed. The new mailing address is PO Box 1160, Warrenton, Virginia 20186. Effective April 1, the Northern Office will no longer have a physical address; drop off deliveries will no longer be available. The Northern Office can still be reached at 540-430-2526 or northern.cclicensing@doe.virginia.gov. To determine which office works with child care providers in your locality, refer to the VDOE’s child care website.
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Virginia Preschool Initiative
Get to Know Your ECSE Child Count and Placement Data Webinar – April 1
Spring Webinar Series
The VDOE hosted a three-part webinar series to prepare school divisions for the 2025-2026 school year. VPI coordinators and VPI enrollment staff were encouraged to attend. Topics are listed below.
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March 11 at 9 a.m. - Best Practices for Eligibility Determination: Review of determining primary vs secondary eligibility and needed documentation. Discussion of points systems and local criteria. Recording now available.
- March 18 at 9 a.m. – Program Data and the Interconnected System: Review of all VPI and ECSE data sources and how this information interacts with other early childhood and K-12 data systems. Recording now available.
- March 25 at 9 a.m. – Blended Programming: Overview of all publicly funded ECCE programs and how they may work together with VPI programs. Discussions on how program requirements overlap and differ will be included. As well as how funding can be blended to maximize funds. Recording coming soon.
Early Childhood Special Education
Recording and Materials: Considerations for a Smooth and Timely Transition from Part C to Part B
On March 19, the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the VDOE provided information about the transition from Early Intervention Services (Part C) to Early Childhood Special Education (Part B). The recording and materials are available below.
Get to Know Your ECSE Child Count and Placement Data Webinar – April 1
Learn about the December 1, 2024, Child Count and Placement Data for the state and your school-division. Data will be presented as well as a description of how to interpret it. Participants may ask questions related to their data collection, reporting, and analysis. Because VDOE will be sharing state- and division-level data, participants are encouraged to attend the virtual presentation as it will not be recorded. The individual(s) who has primary responsibility for ECSE programs from each division is encouraged to attend; however, learning about child count and placement data will benefit all school-based early childhood program leaders.
Head Start
Promoting Healthy Eating and Nutrition for Head Start Children and Families
The Office of Head Start released Information Memorandum ACF-OHS-IM-25-03 to affirm the critical role of Head Start Programs in ensuring families have access to healthy food and comprehensive nutrition services. Good nutrition is essential for brain development and provides children with the energy needed to stay active and focused throughout the program day. This guidance provides an overview of relevant regulatory requirements, funding and partnerships to support robust nutrition services, and innovative strategies to promote health and nutrition.
VQB5 - Virginia's Unified Measurement and Improvement System
Overview of Proposed 2025-2026 VQB5 Guidelines – Webinar Recording
On March 21, VDOE hosted a webinar for early childhood stakeholders in Virginia. This webinar covered information about fall 2024 VQB5 successes, VQB5 Quality Profiles and proposed changes to the VQB5 2025-2026 Guidelines for clarity and impact.
Early Learning Support
Join STREAMin3 for a Free Live Online Training – Today!
STREAMin3 offers free, monthly professional development opportunities for Virginia providers. In March, mathematics is the focus of the virtual events.
VECC Webinar to Strengthen Teacher Child Interaction – This Thursday, March 27
Virginia Early Childhood Consultation (VECC) provides free, quarterly webinars (with live Spanish interpretation) for leaders, providers, and teachers at sites serving children birth-to-five across Virginia. The upcoming webinar’s topic is inclusive and responsive practices, including tips to respond to all children's needs with connections to CLASS® dimensions such as Teacher Sensitivity and Regard for Child/Student Perspectives.
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Webinar: Meeting All Children’s Needs: Using Inclusive and Responsive Practices
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Date: March 27 at 1 p.m.
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Register
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Contact vecc@virginia.edu for more information
Consider the Virginia's Early Learning & Development Standards (ELDS) Micro-credential for 5 Hours of Professional Development
There are still slots available for the ELDS Micro-credential. The course is available in both English and Spanish and is open to all publicly funded early childhood professionals, community college students, and CTE students at no-cost. Participants will be emailed course log-in information within 7 business days of registering. Learners from previous cohorts may still access course content.
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STREAMin3 Office Hours every Tuesday!
Join STREAMin3 coaches live on Zoom, Tuesdays between 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. to ask a coach your questions. Spanish-speaking coach available.
New to STREAMin3?
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Ready B5 Recap Spring Edition is Coming!
Click to view the winter edition of Ready B5 Recap, the Quarterly Newsletter for Early Childhood Care and Education in Virginia.
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