Background Checks for Daycare Employees

Reality Alert

A 20-year-old day care worker previously charged with five felonies for molesting young girls in his care, now faces a new charge alleging he sexually assaulted a three-year-old girl at a different day care facility. He’s pleaded not guilty to the other felony charges accusing him of touching children in his care at another facility last year. The incidents involve four girls who were between the ages of six to eight at the time.

Statistics

The United States Department of Health and Human Services substantiates more than 80,000 reports of child sexual abuse each year. A review of more than a dozen studies on the topic indicated that 7.2% of males and 14.5% of females will be sexually abused at some point in their life. Most experts believe these figures are significantly under reported, and that it’s likely far more children are abused each year. Almost half of all sex offenders were known acquaintances of the victims; another 36% were relatives.

Loss Prevention

In order to protect the children in your care, training and screening all employees and volunteers MUST be emphasized. In addition, any potential offenders in the vicinity of the facility MUST be identified. Consider these guidelines when evaluating all employees and volunteers 18 years old or older:

  • Clearly outline standards for ethical behavior and harassment policies on your applications for employment.
  • Document work history and any subsequent gaps in that history. Applicants with unexplainable gaps in employment are likely hiding something.
  • Complete Criminal Background Checks (CBCs) on all employees and volunteers, even those not working directly with young children.
    • The National Sex Offender Public Registry is a free, online resource that searches each state’s sex offender registry. Every applicant should be run through the system each year.
    • Privately-owned websites, like www.familywatchdog.us, can provide a visual representation of all registered sex offenders in your area. Maintain communication with the local police or sheriff department to receive updates on any offenders moving to your area.
    • CBCs, which are unique to all states, should be considered for each state in which an applicant has lived or worked for more than three years. Someone with a criminal background has an added incentive to move from state to state to try to escape prior convictions.
  • Personal references should be checked and verified. Any relevant information obtained from these reference checks should be catalogued.

Sample Employee Worksheets

Ethical Behavior Standards

[Name of childcare center] is dedicated to providing children with a safe and exciting place to learn and grow. In that regard, safeguards have been established to ensure that children will not be subject to physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal abuse or harassment. You will not:

  1. Participate in sexual activity with any program participant whether consensual or non-consensual.
  2. Strike or otherwise physically restrain or restrict the movement of program participants unless essential for their safety and protection. You will notify your supervisor in the latter case.
  3. Release any confidential information without a signed permission form.
  4. Provide participants with any form of drugs, legal or illegal, unless authorized to do so.
  5. Communicate with any children via email or other Internet-based mediums (MySpace, Facebook, etc.)
  6. Misrepresent your credentials and provide services you are not qualified or authorized to provide.
  7. Be alone with a single child in an isolated situation where you cannot be observed by other staff, volunteers, and/or children. The only exception to this would be toileting or medical emergencies, in which case another staff person or volunteers should be notified.

Violations will result in immediate suspension. Should the allegations be substantiated, disciplinary procedures will include, but not be restricted to termination, or in the case of volunteers and interns, removal from the program.

Harassment Policy

[Name of childcare center] has a zero tolerance policy expressly forbidding any forms of harassment of employees. The term “harassment” includes, but is not limited to, slurs, jokes, and other verbal, graphic, or physical conduct which relate to an individual’s race, color, sex, religion, national origin, citizen, age, or handicap.

Harassment also includes sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, unwelcome or offensive touching or other verbal, graphic, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Violation of this policy is considered a major offense and may result in immediate termination of employment, or in the case of volunteers and interns, removal from the program.

Employees who feel they are being harassed in any way by another employee, member, volunteer, or vendor should inform their immediate supervisor. It is the employee’s responsibility to bring such concerns to their immediate supervisor or executive director. Any concerns will be handled immediately and confidentiality will be protected as much as possible.

I have read the above policy statement and understand its intent, its content, and the actions to be taken by in cases of suspected harassment or violation of the ethical behavior standards.