2025 Virginia Child Care Subsidy Program Waitlist Survey Overview

The 2025 Virginia Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP) Waitlist Survey was administered to parents and guardians of children who applied to participate in the CCSP and were placed on a waitlist at any point between July 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025. The survey was administered online and on paper between August and September 2025 as part of a partnership between researchers at the University of Virginia, the Virginia Department of Education, and the Virginia Department of Social Services. The survey asked families about their experience waiting for a child care subsidy, balancing work and child care demands, concerns about their child's learning and development, the financial impact of being on the waitlist, and, for families who ultimately received assistance, the impact of receiving assistance on their child and family.
Dates administered
August 6, 2025 - September 29, 2025
Sample surveyed
Parents/guardians of children who applied for child care assistance and were placed on a waitlist at any point between July 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025
Number of responses
6,641, including:
  • ​4,442 responses from households who reported they had not received assistance by the time of the survey
  • 2,199 responses from households who reported they had received assistance by the time of the survey
Response rates
35% of eligible families responded
Topics included on the survey
  • Child and family demographics
  • Child care experiences, current & while applying for assistance
  • Experiences applying for child care assistance
  • Balancing work, school, and child care needs while waiting for assistance
  • Concerns about child's learning and development while waiting for assistance
  • Work and school experiences and concerns about child's learning and development after receiving assistance (if applicable)
  • Family's financial wellbeing