Norfolk, VA Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

1 covers physical-environment and building-safety standards for family day homes, the in-home childcare facilities Norfolk licenses for one to twelve children under age 13 (larger licensed child day centers fall under separate state Department of Education oversight, not this chapter). 1-30 requires the home and its furnishings, inside and out, to be free of hazards such as poisonous plants, tripping hazards, unstable furniture, chipped paint, and protruding nails. An indoor bathroom must be accessible to children two and older, kept clean, and stocked with soap, tissue, and towels.

Hot water at taps children can reach must stay between 105 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and the home must maintain indoor temperatures no lower than 65 degrees, with fans or cooling required once indoor temperature exceeds 80 degrees. Garbage must be removed daily from rooms where children are present and from the premises at least weekly. 1-33 adds fire and shock-prevention rules: heating devices such as radiators, stoves, and portable heaters must sit at least three feet from combustible material and have barriers or screens, unvented fuel-burning heaters are banned while children are present, and every level of the home must have an operable smoke detector plus a fire extinguisher as required by the Uniform Statewide Building Code and Statewide Fire Prevention Code.

If the department's representative finds open fire hazards, including missing extinguishers or detectors, it can involve local fire prevention or building officials or the city fire marshal's office, and the provider must comply with their orders. 1-35 further caps provider-owned outdoor climbing equipment at six feet for school-age children and four feet for preschoolers, and requires a four-foot non-climbable barrier around play areas within 30 feet of a busy street, railroad track, or body of water.