Families
Explore Virginia’s VQB5 Quality Profile Website
From the moment a child is born, they begin learning from the world around them. In these critical early years, children absorb valuable lessons through interactions with parents, family members, and other caring adults. The experiences they have from birth to age five lay the foundation for their school readiness and lifelong success. Preparing children for kindergarten involves fostering essential skills that enable them to thrive in a classroom setting. Virginia supports families, caregivers, and communities with resources designed to help children transition seamlessly into kindergarten, setting the stage for future success.
Families now have access to detailed information about the quality and safety of over 3,100 publicly-funded early childhood programs through the VDOE’s VQB5 Quality Profile website. This user-friendly platform provides insights on early childhood education options in every city and county across Virginia, helping parents make informed decisions about the best environments for their children from birth to five years old.
Not sure if the products you have are safe?
Our Recommendation Regarding Child Product Recalls
We recommend that parents check the products used with their children for recalls or report problems with a product both to the manufacturer and CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov.
Hundreds of products are recalled by the U.S. federal government each year. If a product is recalled, it must be removed from store shelves, but often recalled products can still be found on the second-hand market or in homes.
What to do if You Have a Recalled Product
If you have a recalled product, carefully follow the government’s instructions, which could require you to stop using it, repair it, or return it for a refund or replacement.
Make Sure to Check Second-Hand Products
If you receive hand-me-downs or buy children’s products at second-hand shops or yard sales, check past product recalls to make sure new-to-you items are safe.
Be particularly careful about cribs, bassinets or play yards that have been recalled. They are the only places children can be left alone for long periods of time, so be sure they are safe.
Complete List of Recalls
Visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for a complete list of product recalls, including household products and appliances not specifically related to children. To register your car seats for automatic recall notices, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Other agencies also issue recalls.
To find out about them as they happen, sign up to receive e-mail alerts directly from the federal government’s recalls.gov website.
VDOE Choosing Quality Child Care
All parents want to support their child’s health, happiness and development. Choosing quality child care is an excellent way to do this! A quality child care program ensures a safe, fun environment where children can PLAY, LEARN and LAUGH!
Expecting a baby?
Get free health tips every week to help during pregnacy.
Text BABY to 511411 or BEBE to 511411 para Español
Despite decades of public health outreach and education, more than 500,000 babies are born prematurely and an estimated 28,000 children die before their first birthday each year in the U.S. Many factors cause these negative outcomes, including health care access, poverty, and negative health behaviors, but research supports that increasing knowledge around health can help people stay healthier.
To help more pregnant women and new moms get information about caring for their health and giving their babies the best possible start in life, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) launched text4baby, the first free health text messaging service in the U.S.Text4baby supports moms by providing accurate, text-length health information and resources in a format that is personal and timely, using a channel she knows and uses. Over 85% of Americans own a cell phone and 72% of cell users send or receive text messages.
How Text4baby Works
Registration is easy and can be done online here or from your cell phone. Use your cell phone to text the word BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to the number 511411. You’ll be asked to enter your baby’s due date or your baby’s birthday and your zip code. Once registered, you will start receiving free messages with tips for your pregnancy or caring for your baby.
These messages are timed to your due date or your baby’s birth date. If you are pregnant and your due date changes, text UPDATE to 511411 to enter your new due date. Once you have your baby, be sure to text in UPDATE with your baby’s birthday so you keep getting messages through baby’s first year.
If you want to stop receiving messages from text4baby, text STOP to 511411. To start receiving the messages again, you will have to enroll again by sending BABY to 511411 (BEBE to 511411 for Spanish messages).
Text4baby Messages are Free
Thanks to the support of CTIA – The Wireless Foundation and participating mobile operators, all messages you receive from text4baby are free! Even individuals without a text messaging plan can get these messages for free. If someone has limited texts per month, text4baby won’t take away from that limit. As long as you have service with one of the carriers listed below, text4baby is free for you.
- Alltel
- Assurance Wireless
- AT&T
- Bluegrass Cellular
- Boost Mobile
- Cellular South
- Cellcom
- Centennial Cellular
- Cincinnati Bell
- Cricket
- Metro PCS
- N-Telos
- Nex-Tech Wireless
- Sprint Nextel
- T-Mobile
- U.S. Cellular
- Verizon Wireless
- Virgin Mobile USA
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Address
210 Packets Court
Williamsburg, VA 23185
PHONE & EMAIL
757.378.3177
info@va-itsnetwork.org
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The Virginia Infant and Toddler Specialist Network is supported by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $5,350,000 with 100% funded by ACF/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by the Virginia Department of Education, ACF/HHS, or the U.S. Government.