West Virginia Childcare Training Hour Requirements (2026)

orientation must be received before a staff member has sole responsibility for children, and specific thresholds vary by setting—a child care center must provide each staff member orientation prior to or during the first week of employment and before sole responsibility for a group of children, ensure CPR/First Aid within six (6) months of employment, and, for an infant/toddler (24 months and under) program, ensure each qualified staff member completes a minimum of forty (40) hours of approved training related to the care of children 24 months and under before the program starts (78 CSR 1 §8.6.d, §8.6.f.1, §8.6.i.1)

78 CSR 1 §8.6.d, §8.6.f.1, §8.6.i.1

family child care home caregivers must obtain basic first aid plus two (2) hours of approved health and safety training within the first six months of registration (78 CSR 19 §6.3.a.1 and §6.3.a.2).

78 CSR 19 §6.3.a.1 and §6.3.a.2

Training is approved through the WV State Training and Registry System (STARS).

STARS

Annual continuing-education clock hours vary by setting: family child care home caregivers must complete eight (8) hours of approved training annually covering at least two Core Knowledge/Core Competency areas (78 CSR 19 §6.3.b)

78 CSR 19 §6.3.b

family child care facility staff must complete at least twelve (12) clock hours of approved training annually and the facility operator at least fifteen (15) clock hours annually (78 CSR 18 §15.1.k–l and §14.1.a.5)

78 CSR 18 §15.1.k–l and §14.1.a.5

child care center qualified staff must complete fifteen (15) hours of approved training within the first year of employment and thereafter complete the training needed to keep their WV STARS credential current (78 CSR 1 §8.7.a and §8.7.c).

78 CSR 1 §8.7.a and §8.7.c

How many pre-service training hours does West Virginia require?

No fixed statewide pre-service clock-hour total applies before contact; orientation must be received before a staff member has sole responsibility for children, and specific thresholds vary by setting—a child care center must provide each staff member orientation prior to or during the first week of employment and before sole responsibility for a group of children, ensure CPR/First Aid within six (6) months of employment, and, for an infant/toddler (24 months and under) program, ensure each qualified staff member completes a minimum of forty (40) hours of approved training related to the care of children 24 months and under before the program starts (78 CSR 1 §8.6.d, §8.6.f.1, §8.6.i.1); family child care home caregivers must obtain basic first aid plus two (2) hours of approved health and safety training within the first six months of registration (78 CSR 19 §6.3.a.1 and §6.3.a.2). Training is approved through the WV State Training and Registry System (STARS).

How many annual training hours does West Virginia require?

Annual continuing-education clock hours vary by setting: family child care home caregivers must complete eight (8) hours of approved training annually covering at least two Core Knowledge/Core Competency areas (78 CSR 19 §6.3.b); family child care facility staff must complete at least twelve (12) clock hours of approved training annually and the facility operator at least fifteen (15) clock hours annually (78 CSR 18 §15.1.k–l and §14.1.a.5); child care center qualified staff must complete fifteen (15) hours of approved training within the first year of employment and thereafter complete the training needed to keep their WV STARS credential current (78 CSR 1 §8.7.a and §8.7.c).

Does CPR/First Aid count toward West Virginia training hours?

States differ on whether CPR and First Aid certification counts toward required training hours. Confirm with the West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), Bureau for Family Assistance, Division of Early Care and Education (Child Care Licensing). Effective Jan 1, 2024, the former Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) was split into three departments; child care licensing now sits under DoHS. The current child care center rule (78 CSR 1, filed Mar 30, 2023, effective Apr 1, 2023) is captioned 'Department of Human Services,' but its internal definitions (e.g., §78-1-3.52 'Secretary') still reference the 'Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources.' before relying on it for your annual total.