Fairfax County wants to make it easier to open a home day care, and McLean residents have three chances to weigh in starting Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The county is proposing zoning changes that would streamline permits for home day cares and potentially raise the number of children providers can serve. The effort targets gaps in childcare access for children under five across parts of the county, according to a county news release published Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Three virtual community meetings are scheduled:
- Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Microsoft Teams
- Thursday, Oct. 15 from noon to 1 p.m. on Microsoft Teams (Lunch & Learn format)
- Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom, with live Spanish translation
No advance registration is required. Recordings will be posted online afterward.
What would change
Under current rules, home day cares serving up to four children need health and fire safety inspections plus an annually renewed permit. Facilities serving five to 12 children require a state license from Virginia's Department of Education and must go through a lengthy zoning approval process.
That process is the target. Special permit applications took an average of 104 days to get a decision from the Board of Zoning Appeals, and special exceptions averaged 251 days, as WTOP first reported in July. All 53 applications that reached a public hearing were approved.
One proposal would let home day cares serving five to 12 children operate under an administrative permit instead of the current legislative zoning process. It would also increase the number of permitted nonresident workers from one to two. A second option would keep the legislative process but change submission requirements.
Both proposals include new use-specific standards such as designated drop-off and pickup areas to maintain neighborhood compatibility, according to the county.
Dranesville supervisor supports streamlining
Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, whose district includes McLean and Great Falls, voiced support for the concept at a July 7 Land Use Policy Committee meeting.
"An administrative process that makes it easier if we set the proper boundaries makes sense," Bierman said at the meeting, as reported by WTOP on July 8.
Jacqui Kamp, principal planner with Fairfax County's Department of Planning and Development, is leading the zoning study. Kamp told the committee at the July 7 meeting, as reported by WTOP, that reducing regulatory barriers could increase the supply of home day cares and address affordability and parental choice.
Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay called the current timeline a problem at the same July meeting, noting that all 53 applications were ultimately approved. "Coming to the board seems a totally unnecessary step, based on what we see in the fact that all of these have been approved," McKay said, according to WTOP.
How to participate
Public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors have not been scheduled. The three October meetings represent the earliest window for community input.
Residents can also contact Kamp directly at [email protected] or 703-324-1314. Those needing additional language services can reach Sarah Godfrey at [email protected] or 703-324-4256.
