11. Initial Background Screening

Question 1

Initial Background Screening

Answer 1

~ conducted to ensure child care personnel are of good moral character to protect the safety of children
~ must be conducted as a condition of employment
~ information obtained during the background screening process should be used to make employment decisions

Question 2

Level 2 background screening standards include the following checks:

Answer 2

• Criminal records check both national (FBI) and statewide (FDLE)
• Sexual predator and sexual offender registry search
• Child abuse and neglect history

Question 3

Fingerprints and Offenders

Answer 3

~ all fingerprints must be submitted and processed through the Background Screening Clearinghouse and therefore a LiveScan vendor must be used
~ fingerprint results from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be returned to DCF through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)
~ DCF reviews the federal and state criminal history results, along with the state criminal records, national sex offender registry, Florida sex offender registry, and the Florida child abuse and neglect registry
~ once the review is complete, DCF will issue an eligible or non-eligible result through the Clearinghouse
~ an individual who is issued a non-eligible result may request an exemption for certain offenses

Question 4

Applicants who Lived in Other States

Answer 4

~ if an applicant has lived in other states within the past five years, they must send a request for a search of each state’s criminal records
~ the results must then be forwarded to DCF to include in their background screening review
~ in addition, an applicant who has lived in other states within the past five years must request a search of each state’s child abuse and neglect registry and sexual offender/predator registry
~ the results of these searches must be documented in the employee’s file for review by the licensing authority. If the previous state of residence participates in the National Fingerprint File Program, then a request for a criminal history record check is not required

Question 5

History Check of the Applicant

Answer 5

~ the employer must conduct an employment history check of the applicant by contacting each of their employers for the past five years
~ documentation must include the applicant’s job title, description of duties, confirmation of employment dates, and level of performance
~ at least three attempts must be made to obtain employment history information