Fairfax County weighs new proposals to expand affordable child care

ANNANDALE, Va. - Fairfax County leaders are renewing efforts to address the shortage of affordable child care, outlining two proposals aimed at streamlining the approval process for home day care providers and expanding options for families.

What we know:

Parents in the county say they’re not only facing high costs but also struggling to find open spots without landing on long waitlists. 

County officials now hope that cutting some of the red tape for home day care providers will help expand access.

At Tuesday’s Land Use Policy Committee meeting, a map presented by the Neighborhood and Community Services Department showed dozens of areas across Fairfax County where families still face gaps in child care access for children under five. The county currently has just over 1,100 licensed or permitted home day cares.

Leaders were presented with two proposals designed to make opening additional home day cares easier. 

One would allow more providers to expand through a simpler administrative approval rather than a longer review process. The other would keep the current system but simplify several requirements.

At Bright Babies Home Daycare in Annandale, which has served families for eight years, the proposals were welcomed. The owner told FOX 5’s Shirin Rajaee that removing barriers for providers would encourage more home day cares to open and give families more options.

The proposals remain in early stages. The county’s Planning Commission will discuss them this week, with community outreach planned for the fall. If the plan moves forward, public hearings are expected in early 2027.

NewsVirginiaAnnandale