VLS Foundational Courses are designed to align across Tracks, which means a significant portion of each Track's content is relevant to all direct care staff. Direct care staff who complete the VLS in one Track, and then later move to work with another age-group may use the Crosswalk as a guide to aid in their transition. Trainers, coaches, or administrators may identify content areas (i.e., courses) in the VLS where a direct care staff may need review in order to be knowledgeable about best practices for the new age-group with which they will begin working. The Crosswalk tool allows efficient remediation by identifying sections in each of the center-based direct care Tracks (Infant & Toddler, Preschool, and School-Age). The Crosswalk identifies unique age-specific content, activities, and resources by course and lesson and can be used as a guide for specific areas within the VLS that require additional review.

A note about the Family Child Care Track: The Crosswalk applies to center-based direct care Tracks (Infant & Toddler, Preschool, and School-Age). Because of the significant differences between home-based and center-based settings, the Family Child Care (FCC) Track does not have a Crosswalk. In particular, the FCC Track is different from the center-based tracks, as it is written to support providers' competence in caring for and educating children from birth to 12 years of age, within their home, in a mixed-age environment. The FCC Track is specifically written with sensitivity to the fact that FCC providers most often work alone, caring for a group of no more than 6 children out of their private home, which is typically shared with their own family. In addition, because providers typically care for a larger age span when compared to center-based staff, the FCC Track addresses how best to support and make the most of advantages within mixed-age settings. Trainers, coaches, and administrators should work with their program contacts for guidance, as decisions about what to 're-take' in the VLS will likely be done on a case-by-case basis, relative to the person's previous work, training, and the role into which they will transition.