Child care licensing minimally requires directors to have a CDA with 120 clock hours of child-related training, two years of programmatic experience (with one year experience in a supervisory capacity), and 16 clock hours of annual training. Virginia does not have a director credential. Pre-K certification is available for principal licensure, however, neither pre-K content nor experience is required. At the second level of the statewide QRIS, a director must have a minimum of 24 semester hours in child-related coursework. However at the lowest level, no child-related coursework is required. The state pre-K program, Virginia Preschool Initiative, is provided in schools, Head Start, and community organizations; it does not have any specific requirements for program administrators. There are no degree programs in early childhood administration or early childhood leadership academies in the state.
