Fairfax County residents could face a far shorter path to opening a home-based day care after county supervisors directed staff to draft a zoning overhaul that would eliminate public hearings from the approval process.

The earliest the change could take effect is 2027.

At a Land Use Policy Committee meeting on Tuesday, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said the current system for approving home day cares "takes way too long." Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith added that some applications are dragging past 200 days.

County staff presented two options. The first would make approvals fully administrative, removing the planning commission, Board of Supervisors and Board of Zoning Appeals from the process. The second would keep one or more of those bodies involved but streamline the steps applicants must complete.

Four supervisors, Pat Herrity (Springfield), Dalia Palchik (Providence), Dan Storck (Mount Vernon), and Rodney Lusk (Franconia), voiced support for the fully administrative route.

"The fear of going through the process rebuffs those who might be interested in providing day-care services at home," Herrity said.

What changes for homeowners

Under current zoning rules, caring for a small number of children at home is a by-right use. But providers who want to serve more than seven children in a single-family detached home, or more than five in other residential property types, must obtain a special permit or special exception, a process that requires public hearings. Virginia law caps home daycares at 12 children regardless.

The cost picture

The median annual cost of home-based day care in Fairfax County is $19,760, according to 2025 data presented at the July 7 meeting. Commercial facility costs run higher: $22,308 for preschoolers, $24,638 for toddlers, and $27,300 for infants.

Franconia Supervisor Rodney Lusk framed the issue bluntly at the meeting, saying day care costs are "on par with college tuition" and the county should address affordability.

What happens next

County planner Jacqui Kamp, who delivered the presentation on Tuesday, said reducing regulatory hurdles could bring new providers into areas where day care is limited. Staff will draft a proposed zoning ordinance amendment by the end of summer 2026, conduct community outreach through the end of the year and aim to have a plan ready for public hearing by early 2027.

Residents can track the amendment on the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development's Home Day Care Facilities page at fairfaxcounty.gov.