Childcare CPR & first aid requirements

First Aid & CPR West Virginia

If you work in childcare in West Virginia — whether at a daycare, preschool, home-based care, or camp — first aid and CPR certification is not optional. It's a licensing requirement, and for good reason: children are among the most vulnerable to choking, allergic reactions, and injuries. Being prepared to respond can mean everything.

Requirements at a glance

Regulatory frameworkWest Virginia Legislative Rule Title 78 Series 1 (Child Care Centers Licensing), §78-1-8.6.f.1: within six months of employment or use, staff must have current CPR certification appropriate to the age of the children in care and current first aid training; §78-1-10.3.b requires the qualified staff member to have completed child first aid and hold current age-appropriate CPR certification whenever children are on the premises.
Governing authorityWest Virginia Department of Human Services, Division of Human Services (Child Care Centers Licensing)
New hire deadlineWithin 180 days of hire
Min. certified staffAt least one qualified staff member with child first aid and current age-appropriate CPR certification present whenever children are on the premises (two staff on duty at all times).
Online training acceptanceOnline courses accepted
Online courses accepted

What West Virginia requires

West Virginia's child care center licensing rules, Title 78 Series 1, require under §78-1-8.6.f.1 that staff hold current CPR certification appropriate to the age of the children in care, plus current first aid training, within six months of employment. Under §78-1-10.3.b, a qualified staff member who has completed child first aid and holds current age-appropriate CPR certification must be present whenever children are on the premises — and centers must keep two staff on duty at all times. The Department of Human Services enforces these standards.

Anaphylaxis and medication administration

West Virginia allows only designated staff who have passed an approved medication-administration training to give medication (§78-1-15.4.h.5), and permits a child to self-administer emergency allergy medication with written parental and health-care-provider permission (§78-1-15.4.h.13.A). Emergency medication is exempt from the locked-cabinet rule under §78-1-15.4.h.4, provided it stays inaccessible to other children — so an epinephrine auto-injector can be reached the instant an allergic reaction begins. Keeping consent forms and devices current means the center is ready before an emergency, not scrambling during one.

How our courses meet these requirements

A recognized, standards-based certification — online theory paired with a hands-on skills check — meets West Virginia’s requirement and keeps your team ready to act.

Don't wait for renewal day

When a child stops breathing or an allergic reaction turns severe, the caregiver on duty is the difference between a scare and a tragedy — and West Virginia's two-staff, age-appropriate CPR rules are written around that fact. Certification gives your team practiced, confident hands and gives parents the assurance that the people they trust are genuinely prepared. A recognized, standards-based course that blends online learning with a hands-on skills check meets the six-month deadline and keeps your license and your staff ready together.