West Virginia Code requires that all child care operations in the state have a permit from a local health department. In Kanawha County, operators have to apply for a permit with KCHD, undergo necessary inspections, meet specific indoor/outdoor space ratios and adult-to-child ratios, as well as complete a lead risk assessment if warranted based on the age of the structure housing the child care center. The term child care center is broad and includes day care center and family day care facility as defined below:
- Child Care Center - Any child care facility providing nonresidential care for seven or more children for all or part of a day. The term child care center includes day care centers, family day care facilities, nursery schools and preschools.
- Day Care Center - A child care center that provides nonresidential care for 13 or more children on a nonresidential basis.
- Family Day Care Facility - A child care center that is used to provide nonresidential care for seven to 12 children, including those under six years of age living in the household. No more than four of the total number of children may be under 24 months old.
To operate a child care facility in Kanawha County, owners must first take the following steps:
- Submit an application with floor plans at least 30 days before the actual or proposed operation of the child care center is scheduled to begin.
- Ensure that there is at least 35 square feet of usable indoor floor space per child and 75 square feet of usable outdoor space per child. This means that when calculating the square footage of a room, you should subtract the space that any furniture or other items take up from the total square footage of the room/playground.
- Complete a Lead Risk Assessment conducted by a West Virginia-licensed Lead Risk Assessor if your location -- building or home -- was built before 1978. For questions regarding lead testing, please call Paul Ice, Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Radiation, Toxic and Indoor Air Division, at 304-356-4271.
- For all child care licensing standards, please contact Teresa Lawlor, the West Virginia Department of Health's Kanawha County coordinator, at 304-356-4619.
Questions? We're happy to help.
304-348-8050
kchdenv@wv.gov