Welcome to Better Kid Care! Better Kid Care's On Demand system provides online professional development courses anytime you are ready to learn.
Registration for On Demand is separate from any online state registry system.
To begin an online training course, select "Sign In for Online Courses." If you have completed courses through Better Kid Care in the past, sign in to your existing account; if not, select the "Create an Account" button on the sign-in page.
State specific information
All Better Kid Care online On Demand courses are accepted by the Virginia Department of Education to meet child care professional development requirements in Virginia.
The Virginia Department of Education partners with Better Kid Care online to offer two important training courses at no cost:
Virginia Preservice Training for Child Care Staff - 10-hour course
This no cost On Demand orientation course provides an overview of basic health and safety requirements and best practices in ten of the topic areas outlined in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Reauthorization; and was specifically created for professionals who work with children and families in Virginia. This course can only be completed once.
This course was created to introduce child care staff to important health and safety information critical for professionals to know for working in a child care setting. The Virginia Preservice Training for Child Care Staff, sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education, is required for prospective vendors to complete prior to approval as a Subsidy Vendor. Once the program is an approved vendor, current staff that work directly with children shall complete this training within 90 days of the program becoming a Subsidy Vendor. New staff hired, that work directly with children, shall complete this training within 90 days of employment.
This course is also required for staff who work in Licensed Child Day Centers and shall be completed within 90 days of employment.
Although only the above listed programs are required to take this course, all professionals in child care and preschool programs are encouraged to complete the training.
Click here to start this training.
Virginia Annual Health and Safety Update Training for Child Care Staff (2025) - 3-hour course
This no cost On Demand annual health and safety update training is a follow-up to the Virginia Preservice Training for Child Care Staff training. This training course is required for all staff that work directly with children in a child care program (center-based and family day homes) that participates in the Virginia Child Care Subsidy Program (aka Subsidy Vendors). This training is updated every year and is to be taken annually, with the first update completed within one year after completing the Virginia Preservice Training for Child Care Staff.
Click here to start this update training.
Note: If you are in the process of completing the Virginia Annual Health and Safety Update training from a previous year, you will have 30 days after the launch of the newly updated Virginia Annual Health and Safety Update training to complete the in-process training before it is no longer available.
Although the Virginia Annual Health and Safety Update Training for Child Care Staff is only required to be completed by staff working directly with children in a Child Care Subsidy Program, all early childhood professionals working in child care or preschool programs are encouraged to take the training.
For more information about child care in Virginia, visit Training and Professional Development | Child Care VA.
Updated April 2024
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More information about the Better Kid Care On Demand system can be found here.
