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Child care center 

Gateway Freewill Baptist Church

5473 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23462
licensed capacity
150
open each week
5 days

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License-exemptInspection record

About

About Gateway Freewill Baptist Church

Gateway Freewill Baptist Church is a child care center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is license-exempt, for up to 150 children, serving infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children.

It is open Monday to Friday, 6:00 AM to 5:30 PM. It describes a Faith-based approach, with infant care and preschool. It says it provides meals.

Virginia Department of Education, Office of Child Care Health and Safety made 3 visits in the last 3 years and cited 15 rules across 3 of them. The visit list, in the state's words, is below.

InfantsSchool-ageFaith-basedMeals providedAccepts child care subsidyOpens before 7 AM

Ages served: infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children

From the state license
Ask when you call: rates, current openings, staff-to-child ratio and teacher qualifications.
Type
Child care center
Ages
Infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children
Hours today
6:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Licensed capacity
150 children

Hours

Hours

MondayToday6:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Tuesday6:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Wednesday6:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Thursday6:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Friday6:00 AM to 5:30 PM
SaturdayNot listed
SundayNot listed
From the state license

Programs

Programs and care

AgesInfants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age childrenFrom the state license
ProgramsInfant care and preschool
ApproachFaith-based (Christian)
Daily lifeMeals provided
Child care subsidyAccepts state child care subsidiesFrom the state license
MoreFounded 1966
Licensed capacity150 childrenFrom the state license
A daycare without an item may still offer it; ask.

Cost

Tuition and costs

Gateway Freewill Baptist Church has not listed its tuition.

Ask the daycare for its ratesIt has not listed its tuition.

State record

Inspection reports for Gateway Freewill Baptist Church

License

Status
License-exempt and operating
License type
Religiously exempt child day center (not licensed)
Capacity
150 children
Ages
Infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children
License number
#5436
See the state's record

Summary

3 visits in the last 3 years · Last visit Jan 22, 2026: 7 rules cited

Rules cited on 3 of 3 visits · 15 rules in all

  • Staff training and qualifications 4
  • Safety and hazards 4
  • Building, equipment and play areas 2
  • Food and nutrition 2
  • Health, medication and illness 2
  • Background checks 1

For comparison: 91% of Virginia daycares had at least one rule cited in the last 3 years; the typical daycare had 8.

A cited rule is what an inspector found on the day of a visit. It is not a rating of the daycare today.

Own this daycare? Add your response to the state record

See all 4 visits
  1. Jan 22, 2026Inspection7 rules cited
    • Staff training and qualifications

      8VAC20-790-600-B

      “Within the first 90 days of employment or subsidy vendor approval all staff who work directly with children shall complete Virginia Preservice Training for Child Care Staff. The vendor stated that not all staff working in the subsidy program have completed the required preservice training.”
    • Background checks

      22.1-289.035-A

      “All applicants for employment will undergo a background check as required prior to employment and every five years thereafter. Staff #1 and 2 did not have fingerprint background check updated five years after the most recent background check was obtained. The background checks are past due for update.”
    • Staff training and qualifications

      8VAC20-790-600-F

      “Staff who work directly with children, in addition to preservice and orientation training, will annually attend at least 16 hours of training. The vendor stated that not all staff working in the subsidy program have not obtained the required 16 hours of annual training.”
    • Building, equipment and play areas

      8VAC20-790-630-A

      “Areas and equipment of the center, inside and outside, shall be maintained in safe condition. There are shelving units in classrooms that are not secured to the wall and pose a toppling hazard.”
    • Staff training and qualifications

      8VAC20-790-600-D-1

      “All staff who work directly with children shall have within 90 days of the date of employment current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) appropriate to the ages of children in care. The vendor stated that not all staff working in the subsidy program have completed the required (CPR) or first aid course.”
    • Safety and hazards

      8VAC20-790-640-A

      “Hazardous substances such as cleaning materials, insecticides, and pesticides shall be kept in a locked place using a safe locking method that prevents access. There are unlocked cleaning materials in classrooms that are accessible to children in care.”
    • Food and nutrition

      22.1-289.057-A

      “Each child day program that serves preschool-age children will develop and implement a plan to test potable water. The facility did not have documentation of a plan to test potable water in either education/child care building.”
  2. Nov 18, 2024Inspection8 rules cited
    • Safety and hazards

      22.1-289.058

      “Each building that was built before 2015 and that houses a child day program that serves preschool-age children shall be equipped with at least one carbon monoxide detector. There was not a carbon monoxide detector in the child care building.”
    • Staff training and qualifications

      8VAC20-790-600-I

      “There shall be at least one staff on duty who has obtained within the last three years instruction in performing a daily health observation of children. There was not any documentation that any staff has current daily health observation in the staff records.”
    • Safety and hazards

      8VAC20-790-790-A

      “The vendor shall have a written emergency preparedness plan. There was not a written emergency preparedness plan available during the inspection.”
    • Building, equipment and play areas

      8VAC20-790-630-A

      “Areas and equipment of the center, inside and outside, shall be maintained in a Safe condition. The egress to outside was blocked by a latched child safety gate in the older toddler room.”
    • Food and nutrition

      8VAC20-790-820-E

      “Prepared infant formula shall be dated. None of the bottles stored in the infant room refrigerator were labeled with the date.”
    • Health, medication and illness

      8VAC20-790-560-A

      “Staff shall be evaluated by a health professional and be issued a statement that the individual is determined to be free of communicable tuberculosis (TB). Nine out of nine staff records reviewed did not contain documentation of staff being free of TB in a communicable form.”
    • Health, medication and illness

      8VAC20-790-770-B-4

      “The vendor may administer medication provided the medication is given only at the dose, duration, and method of administration specified on the manufacturers? label for the age or weight of the child needing the medication. Child #1, a 12-month-old, was administered medication with out documentation that a doctor was asked prior to administration as the manufacturer label states.”
    • Safety and hazards

      8VAC20-790-780-C-2

      “The following nonmedical emergency supplies shall be required: One working, battery-operated radio. There was not a battery-operated radio available during the inspection.”
  3. Nov 18, 2024Inspection8 rules cited
    • Safety and hazards

      22.1-289.058

      “Each building that was built before 2015 and that houses a child day program that serves preschool-age children shall be equipped with at least one carbon monoxide detector. There was not a carbon monoxide detector in the child care building.”
    • Staff training and qualifications

      8VAC20-790-600-I

      “There shall be at least one staff on duty who has obtained within the last three years instruction in performing a daily health observation of children. There was not any documentation that any staff has current daily health observation in the staff records.”
    • Safety and hazards

      8VAC20-790-790-A

      “The vendor shall have a written emergency preparedness plan. There was not a written emergency preparedness plan available during the inspection.”
    • Building, equipment and play areas

      8VAC20-790-630-A

      “Areas and equipment of the center, inside and outside, shall be maintained in a Safe condition. The egress to outside was blocked by a latched child safety gate in the older toddler room.”
    • Food and nutrition

      8VAC20-790-820-E

      “Prepared infant formula shall be dated. None of the bottles stored in the infant room refrigerator were labeled with the date.”
    • Health, medication and illness

      8VAC20-790-560-A

      “Staff shall be evaluated by a health professional and be issued a statement that the individual is determined to be free of communicable tuberculosis (TB). Nine out of nine staff records reviewed did not contain documentation of staff being free of TB in a communicable form.”
    • Health, medication and illness

      8VAC20-790-770-B-4

      “The vendor may administer medication provided the medication is given only at the dose, duration, and method of administration specified on the manufacturers? label for the age or weight of the child needing the medication. Child #1, a 12-month-old, was administered medication with out documentation that a doctor was asked prior to administration as the manufacturer label states.”
    • Safety and hazards

      8VAC20-790-780-C-2

      “The following nonmedical emergency supplies shall be required: One working, battery-operated radio. There was not a battery-operated radio available during the inspection.”
  4. Mar 22, 2022Complaint investigation1 rule cited
    • Safety and hazards

      22.1-289.031-B-5 Complaint related: No

      “Based on observations and interviews the center failed to ensure that the premises accessible to children are free of obvious injury hazards. Infant room: 1 - Infant 1 was left unattended with the bottle while laying on top of a horseshoe shaped pillow. a. There was a loose fitting pillow case over the horseshoe shaped pillow that posed an entanglement hazard. Staff 1 stated that the pillow case was not the original case for the pillow. 2 - Plastic sandwich baggies were observed hanging above each infant crib. The baggies were attached to the wall with push pins. Push pins pose a potential choking hazard. Plastic baggies pose a suffocation hazard. 3 - Infant 2 was sleeping in a crib with a loose fitting sheet. A loose fitting sheet poses an entanglement hazard. Physical plant 4- Additionally, a loosely installed plastic fencing was observed in the two-year-old room where a child in care was able to push the fencing over and landed on top of the barrier. Infant feeding: 5 - Staff 1 stated verbally and in writing that the feeding schedule was which lead to infant 1 not being fed for a period of three hours.”

Copied from Virginia Department of Education, Office of Child Care Health and Safety on October 2, 2026; the state's records start around Oct 2012. Rule wording, severity and dates are the state's.

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Daycares near Gateway Freewill Baptist Church

Home daycare

Diane McEwen

Virginia Beach, VA 23462 · infants to school-age · Home daycare: the provider shares the address with families

FAQ

Questions about Gateway Freewill Baptist Church

Is Gateway Freewill Baptist Church licensed?

No. Virginia Department of Education, Office of Child Care Health and Safety lists it as exempt from child care licensing in Virginia.

When was Gateway Freewill Baptist Church last inspected?

Virginia Department of Education, Office of Child Care Health and Safety lists the most recent visit on January 22, 2026, with 7 rules cited. It lists 3 visits in the last 3 years.

Has Gateway Freewill Baptist Church had rules cited by the state?

Yes. Inspectors cited 15 rules across 3 of 3 visits in the last 3 years. For comparison: 91% of Virginia daycares had at least one rule cited in the last 3 years; the typical daycare had 8. A cited rule is what an inspector found on the day of a visit. It is not a rating of the daycare today.

How many children can Gateway Freewill Baptist Church care for?

150, the licensed capacity on the state record. It is licensed to serve infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children.

Does Gateway Freewill Baptist Church accept child care subsidies?

Yes. The state record says it accepts child care subsidies.

What are Gateway Freewill Baptist Church's hours?

Monday to Friday, 6:00 AM to 5:30 PM. These are the hours on the state record. Holiday hours can differ.

How much does Gateway Freewill Baptist Church cost?

It has not listed its tuition. Call (757) 499-6551 to ask.

What is Gateway Freewill Baptist Church's phone number?

(757) 499-6551.

Where is Gateway Freewill Baptist Church?

5473 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23462. The nearest other daycare we list is Sowing Seeds Preschool, 0.3 miles away.

Sources: Virginia Department of Education, Office of Child Care Health and Safety (license and visits).