✉️ VDOE Readiness Connections Update: June 17, 2025

Child Care Provider Legislative Updates - Webinar Today, June 17  

Join the VDOE’s Office of Child Care Health and Safety today for a webinar to learn about new laws related to child day programs and family day systems. This webinar is relevant for licensees, owners, and directors who represent licensed programs, subsidy vendors, voluntarily registered homes, religious exempt centers, certified preschools, and license-exempt programs. Registration is limited to 1000 registrants, but the webinar will be recorded and posted on the VDOE child care website after the event.    

• Webinar: Child Care Provider Legislative Updates   
• Date: June 17 from 1-2 p.m.   
• Register   

Virginia Child Care Provider Scholarship Program: Fall Applications Accepted June 15-July 25

The Virginia Child Care Provider Scholarship Program is accepting scholarship applications for the fall 2025 semester from June 15 through July 25. Scholarships provide funds to support the cost of in-state tuition for students taking approved courses at a Virginia Community College as well as SCHEV-accredited Montessori Training Programs. Students may request scholarships for up to two approved courses per semester. Information about the scholarship program can be found online: https://www.vaccscholarship.com/  

2025 Legislation Implementation Memos - Now Available Online  

The Office of Child Care Health and Safety distributed 2025 Legislation Implementation Memos on Friday, June 13. The memos inform home-based and center-based child day programs of legislation that passed in the 2025 Virginia General Assembly session that affect child day programs. The legislation becomes effective July 1. Refer to the memos on the What’s New page of the Child Care VA website. 

Summer Playground Safety Reminders 

With summer break officially here, the VDOE is encouraging caregivers to make sure children are safe on playground equipment. When taking children on field trips to playgrounds, look for playgrounds suitable for their age group, with well-maintained play sets, and proper surfacing. Consider the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s playground safety checklist to complete a safety assessment of your facility’s playground to identify hazards and take action to ensure the safety of children.  

Updated: Indicator 7: Child Outcomes Summary Process Technical Assistance Document  

The United States Department of Education requires states to report data on the percent of preschoolers with Individualized Education Programs who demonstrate improved child outcomes. The VDOE recently updated the Indicator 7: Child Outcomes Summary Process Technical Assistance Document to assist local school division teams in completing the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) process accurately and with fidelity. Primarily, updates were made to the assessments that align with the child outcomes areas.  

Virtual Learning Community in Autism: Social Communication 

The Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Center for Education (VCU-ACE) is offering a Virtual Learning Community in Autism for school-based professionals. During this four-week series, participants will explore the topic of social communication instruction to effectively support a person with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants will meet regularly in July and August to share expertise and work collaboratively specifically to promote positive behaviors for students with ASD. 

• Event: Virtual Learning Community in Autism 
• Dates: July 15, 22, 29, and August 5 from 3 – 4:30 p.m. 
• Register

OHS Payment Justification Recipient Guide 

In March 2025, the Payment Management System (PMS) introduced a new processing step to enhance transparency and accountability for all federal funding. Head Start grant recipients were notified to ensure alignment with Executive Order 14222, which supports the President’s cost-efficiency initiative. To assist the field, the Office of Head Start leadership has compiled a webinar recording providing guidance on successfully submitting a complete payment justification request in PMS. This resource will help programs navigate the updated requirements.