Annandale is a small town in Fairfax County, VA, with just over 43,000 residents in 14,500 households. There are 120 child care facilities in Annandale, including 103 home daycares and 17 daycare centers or preschools. The average cost of home-based infant care is $280 per week for full-time. In a center, the price is $330 per week (that's over $17,000 annually)! Daycare costs decrease for toddlers and preschoolers with a full-time rate for a 4-year-old being $210 per week in child care centers and $240 per week in home-based daycares (about $11,000 to $13,000 per year). To find out the average cost of daycare in your zip code, click here to use our daycare cost calculator. Annandale's population is composed of a diverse ethnic background wherein Spanish and Asian languages are ubiquitous in addition to English (55% of the population speaks a foreign language.) The town is even unofficially labeled as “Koreatown” in the Washington DC metro. The area is crossed by Lake Accotink, making it a popular recreational destination for fishing, biking, running, and nature hikes. Daycare facilities caring for non-resident children in exchange for payment are mandated by law, and operating a daycare without proper registration is considered a Class 1 misdemeanor. In Fairfax County, it is mandatory to secure a Fairfax County permit when providing care for up to four children. The Commonwealth of Virginia requires child care providers to register when caring for more than four non-resident children. Currently, there are 75 in-home daycares with a Fairfax County Permit, while state-licensed facilities consist of 28 family day homes and 17 child care centers. State-licensed facilities are monitored and inspected at least twice a year to comply with legal requirements continuously. Those include health and safety standards, caregiver training and education, background checks. There are only 17 centers in Annandale, but these facilities are larger and serve more children than home-based programs. The 103 licensed and permitted family child care and preschool programs around the city can be a good option for families who need a closer location and flexible hours of operation. These regulated child care facilities provide a safe and caring early learning environment while parents are away for business or work. In keeping up with the demands of a busy lifestyle, families have different needs when considering child care facilities. Besides a quality early learning program, many parents look for enrichment programs. In Annandale, extended care (before and after-school) is offered in seven facilities, while nine daycares provide a bilingual or language immersion program. Nineteen facilities can accommodate children with special needs, and three faith-based daycares are available to parents who raise their children in a religious environment. Families in a difficult economic situation can get support from the government. The Early Head Start program for infants and toddlers and the Head Start program for 3 and 4-year old children are federally funded programs. Twenty-one child care programs in Annandale accept child care subsidy vouchers. This type of financial assistance is available through the Child Care Subsidy Program. It allows parents to afford quality child care so that they can continue to work or attend an education program.