RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Department of Education is investigating SwimRVA following the death of 9-year-old King Overton, who drowned on June 15 while attending a swim camp at SwimRVA-North.
A VDOE spokesperson told CBS 6's Melissa Hipolit after the death that SwimRVA was not licensed by the department and that an investigation was underway. The spokesperson did not initially say what exactly was being investigated or whether SwimRVA should have been licensed.
After following up with a series of questions, Hipolit learned from VDOE that under Virginia code, any "child day program" must be licensed unless it meets one of the exemptions from licensure.
A child day program is defined as a regularly operating service arrangement for children where a person or organization has agreed to assume responsibility for the supervision, protection, and well-being of a child under the age of 13 for less than a 24-hour period.
VDOE confirmed it is investigating whether SwimRVA meets that definition. If it does, the department will then seek to determine whether the program qualifies for one of the exemptions to licensure listed in state code.
Several exemptions exist, and many are very specific. For example, a program of instructional experience in a single focus — such as sports clinics or music — is exempt from licensure if it does not allow children under the age of 6 to attend and no child is allowed to attend for more than 25 days in a three-month period.
Licensed child day programs are required to follow a long list of state regulations.
SwimRVA shared the following statement with CBS 6:
"We are communicating with the Virginia Department of Education and sharing information about our programs with them. We are committed to full compliance with all state regulations."
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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