West Virginia's Child Care Program is dedicated to improving the affordability, accessibility and quality of child care services. To improve affordability, the Division of Early Care & Education manages a statewide system of Child Care Resource and Referral agencies, which provide resource information and financial assistance to eligible families. Financial assistance covers the majority of the cost of direct care and protection of children while parents work, attend training, or are otherwise unable to provide care. The agencies also educate consumers on selecting appropriate child care and refer parents to providers in their area.
The Child Care Program also promotes safe environments that promote healthy physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth of children by regulating persons or programs that care for children age birth to 13 or up to age 18, if the child has special needs. Whether you are looking for infant or toddler care, a preschool setting, or a program serving school age children, there are licensed child care centers that may fit your needs. To view licensed child care centers, click here. There you will be able to see a list of all child care centers in the state. To narrow your search, enter city or zip code. Also included are center and capacity details, corrective action plans, explanation of license types and how to access a history of noncompliance for licensed child care centers in West Virginia. Should you be interested in care in a family child care home or facility please contact your local Resource and Referral Agency.
Information and Regulations (rules) for Child Care Centers, Out of School Time, Family Child Care Facilities, Family Child Care Homes , and Informal Relative regulations can be found by clicking on the name in the sentence.
A Supplement Guide for Child Care Regulation interpretation is also available. The Supplemental Guide is an accompaniment to the legislative rule for child care centers(78-1). It also provides guidance statements of some of the licensing requirements in the rule.
Families are eligible for financial assistance if their monthly gross income (before taxes and deductions) falls below 150% of FY 2018 Federal Poverty Level. Once eligible, the family may continue to receive certificates until income exceeds 185% of FY 2018 Federal Poverty Level. Income is adjusted for family size, as the chart indicates. Most families pay a portion of the cost of care.