The Child Care Subsidy Program assists families in paying child care costs for children under age 13 who are not eligible to attend public school during the part of the day when public education is available, or children with special needs under age 18 who reside with the applicant. If you are eligible and are approved for services, the Subsidy Program can pay a portion of your child care costs directly to the child care provider.
Here are some helpful tips to find out if your employer offers childcare benefits or supports.
Employee Handbook or Policies: Start by reviewing the company’s employee handbook or policies. Often, child care benefits are mentioned in these documents along with other employee benefits.
Human Resources (HR) Department: Reach out to the HR department directly. They can provide information about all the benefits available to employees, including child care assistance programs, subsidies, or flexible spending accounts for child care expenses.
Intranet or Company Website: Check the company’s intranet or website for information on employee benefits. Some companies have dedicated sections or portals where employees can learn about available benefits and how to access them.
Ask Colleagues: If comfortable, ask colleagues who are parents if they are aware of any child care benefits offered by the employer. They might have insights or firsthand experience with the company’s programs.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP): Some companies offer employee assistance programs that include resources for child care support and referrals. These programs may provide counseling, information, and assistance in finding suitable child care options.
Family Village
It takes a village to raise a child…Ready Region Blue Ridge offers a variety of ways to engage and connect with families through our Family Village. You can be as active as you want!
Our Vision
All children birth to five have a solid foundation that leads to success.
Our Mission
To bring our community together to champion equal access to resources for all children from birth to age five.
What Is Family Engagement to Us?
“In Ready Region Blue Ridge, Family Engagement focuses on building relationships, fostering joint decision-making, and ensuring the availability of resources to support children’s learning and development through active communication and collaboration among parents, caregivers, and the community.”
– Family Council Members
How to Get Help When Concerned about Your Child’s Development- Birth-5 Years
Infant Toddler Connection of the Shenandoah Valley
Infant & Toddler Connection of Shenandoah Valley
3150 Shawnee Drive Winchester, VA 540-450-1052
The Infant & Toddler Connection provides early intervention services to children from birth to their 3rd birthday. Any infant or toddler in Virginia who isn’t developing as expected or who has a medical condition that can delay typical development is eligible to receive early intervention supports and services under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Infant & Toddler Connection supports and provides services for infants, toddlers, and their families so that families can help their children learn during everyday activities and routines.
We’re excited to invite you to join our family village Facebook group, where we can stay connected and share resources, updates, memories, and more. Who can join? Any parent or caregiver with children of any age!
The Family Council brings families together within our region to discuss early childhood care and education topics. Families are empowered to advocate for the needs and challenges they face when accessing early childhood care for their children.
Learn about early childhood care, education systems, and community resources.
Weigh in on current programs and what more is needed for families with young children
Use your voice to promote change
Who can join? Parents and caregivers of children aged birth to 5.
How often/long are meetings? 1 hour each month (virtual)
How much do you pay? $50 per family council meeting you attend and $25/hr. for additional meetings and events.
Are you interested in joining the Family Council and Family Village? We’d love to have you on board! Sign Up Here
The Virginia Promise Partnership is a coalition of leading organizations working together to achieve our bold goal of ensuring all Virginia families have access to affordable, quality child care by 2030, regardless of income.
We’d like to share information about the Virginia Promise Partnership with you. Please click the link below for more details:
To sign up contact our Family Engagement Specialist: tthompson@unitedwaycville.org or 434-459-0200
Social and Emotional Development describes the range of skills that young children learn that help them relate to themselves and others. These skills include: expressing and regulating feelings, considering how others feel, and solving problems with greater independence. For more information, see Virginia’s Early Learning and Development Standards, Birth-Five Learning Guidelines (ELDS) which outline typical child development from birth to five years of age. Use this document to understand what skills are appropriate for your child and to see what s/he might develop next.
Shenandoah Alliance for Shelter, Woodstock ~ 540-459-3212 or 855-401-5837 Virginia Cooperative Extension, Woodstock ~ 540-459-6140 Customer Credit Counseling Services of NOVA ~ 800-747-4222
Response Inc. – 540-459-5161 Serves domestic and sexual violence survivors/homeless women and/or children Family Promise – 540-459-4599 Serves homeless families with children
Bread of Life ~ 540-459-4144 156 Muhlenberg St. Woodstock 3 rd Tuesday & Thursday 1:00-4:00pm (during Lent 1:30pm on Tuesday) Compassion Cupboard ~ 540-465-5797 or 540-465-9476 or 540-465-3778 533 Burgess St. Strasburg 3 rd Tuesday 10am-4pm Columbia Furnace Love Center ~ 540-459-1632 or 459-3711 20914 Senedo Rd, Edinburg 4 th Saturday 8:45-11:00am
Loaves and Fishes ~ 540-740-8959 9320 Congress St, New Market 3 rd Thursday 1:00-6:00pm Open Door Food Pantry ~ 540-740-8025 or 540-325-6380 Mt. Jackson 3 rd Thursday 1:00-6:00pm Rock Worship Center, Compassion House ~ 540-325-4372 1602 Strasburg Rd. Strasburg 1 st & 3rd Monday 9:30am-1:30pm
Our organization is comprised of individuals who have overcome substance use, mental health, and trauma-related challenges. Grounded in our lived experiences, our mission is to offer hope, support and advocacy for those seeking recovery so that they can build resilience and thrive in their lives and communities.
This resource guide lists the area resources available for Harrisonburg and Rockingham as of August 2024.
Free help accessing services: Walk-in Monday-Friday 9am-2pm 917 N. Main St., Unit 1, Harrisonburg, VA 22802 | 540-208-2941 | StrengthInPeers.org |
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is a state agency that oversees birth-to-five early childhood programs including child care centers, pre-K or preschool in public schools, family day homes, and Head Start. This includes measuring the quality of programs.
Our goal is that all Virginia children have learning experiences that prepare them for kindergarten. Measuring the quality of these learning experiences helps strengthen programs and provide important information to families.
What is VQB5?
In response to state law, Virginia has developed VQB5 to measure and improve the quality of infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms. VQB5 is used in child care centers, family day homes, public school preschools, and Head Start sites. VQB5 helps families learn about different birth-to-five programs so they can choose a program that best meets their needs.
How does VQB5 work?
There are two parts of VQB5.
1. Trained observers look at all classrooms using a nationally-regarded early childhood observation tool called CLASS. This observation lasts 60-80 minutes. The trained observer focuses on the interactions between teachers and children. This is not a child-level observation. Teachers receive feedback on what they are doing well and support to improve.
2. VQB5 also looks at whether classrooms are using a quality curriculum that has been approved by the state. Curriculum is always optional, and programs have lots of choices.
Who takes part in VQB5?
Birth-to-five early childhood programs who receive government funding are required to take part in VQB5. Programs that do not receive any government funding can choose to take part.
What does this mean if my child is enrolled in a VQB5 site?
QB5 sites are focused on providing quality learning experiences for your child. This means your child’s teacher is receiving feedback and support multiple times a year. Your site is also likely using a quality curriculum. Starting in fall 2024, parents will be able to find information on the quality ratings for all VQB5 sites.
What are VQB5 sites required to do?
VQB5 sites are required to do the following each year:
1. Have CLASS observations in every infant, toddler, and preschool classroom in the fall and spring.
2. Report on their use of approved early childhood curriculum.
3. Provide important information about their teachers and classrooms, including child enrollment information to VDOE each fall.
Why do VQB5 sites need to give child enrollment information?
State law requires the VDOE to improve learning experiences for young children so that more children can enter school ready. This information helps the VDOE better understand how all these different early learning experiences support kindergarten readiness.
How will the privacy of my child’s information be protected?
Federal and state laws protect how child information is used. VDOE will keep child information private and secure. VDOE will never share information in a way that would identify any child or any small group of children.
What should I do if I have a question about VQB5 or if I’d like to learn more?
