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West Virginia makes your insurance a parent-facing enrollment document. The child care center licensing rule (78 CSR 1) requires that at enrollment, a center “provides information about its liability insurance coverage” to the parent — alongside its statement of purpose and enrollment agreements. The state doesn’t set your limits; it makes sure every parent hears what they are. Blank is a bad answer to hand across the table.
One policy, priced for a West Virginia daycare
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What West Virginia Actually Requires
| Coverage | West Virginia requirement |
|---|---|
| Liability insurance disclosure | Required at enrollment — the center provides information about its liability coverage to each parent (78 CSR 1, §7.1.a.4) |
| Coverage mandate | The licensing rule requires the disclosure, not a specific policy or amount — the market fills in the rest |
| Workers’ compensation | Required of all WV employers — and exemptions must be applied for in writing, never assumed |
The Disclosure That Works Like a Mandate
West Virginia’s rule is quieter than a coverage requirement and, in practice, nearly as effective: every enrollment conversation includes your insurance status, by regulation. A center describing real coverage hands over a certificate; an uninsured one explains itself to every family, one at a time. Most operators decide the premium costs less than that conversation.
The employment side is firmer ground: West Virginia requires workers’ compensation of all employers, bought on the private market since the state fund privatized, and its narrow exemptions exist only by written application to the Insurance Commissioner — a detail that catches employers who assume their way into a gap.
The Coverages Every Daycare Carries Regardless
- General liability with abuse & molestation coverage. The playground injury and the allegation are different claims; a daycare policy without A&M cover is missing the exposure the business is actually judged on.
- Commercial auto if you transport children — a personal policy excludes business use.
- Workers’ compensation once you employ staff (required in West Virginia of all employers).
- Property and contents for the build-out, equipment and food stock.
Parents ask if you’re insured. So do licensors.
A certificate of insurance answers both in one page. Quotes are free and don’t require a phone call.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is liability insurance required for a West Virginia daycare?
The licensing rule (78 CSR 1) requires centers to provide information about their liability insurance coverage to parents at enrollment — a mandatory disclosure rather than a mandatory policy. No specific coverage amount is set by the rule; landlords, subsidy contracts and parents’ expectations set the practical floor.
Does a West Virginia daycare need workers’ comp?
Yes — West Virginia requires workers’ compensation of all employers, purchased from private carriers. The narrow exemptions (casual employment, small agricultural operations) require applying to the Insurance Commissioner for a letter of exemption — they are never automatic.
Comparing states? See daycare insurance requirements in every state, or the full guide to starting a daycare in West Virginia.
Sources
| Source | What it confirms |
|---|---|
| 78 CSR 1 (WV child care centers licensing) | The §7.1.a.4 enrollment disclosure of liability coverage |
| WV Offices of the Insurance Commissioner | The all-employers WC rule and written-application exemptions |
