Background Check Procedures 620-01-40

(Revised 2/15/15 ML #3430)

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The fingerprint background check shall be completed for all providers and staff members, over the age of eighteen, who are responsible for the care of children or who have unsupervised contact with children, upon hire and every five years after. Staff members who are hired before the age of 18 must complete the fingerprint background check when they turn eighteen.

 

If an individual is required to have a FBI fingerprint background check completed through another agency for the same program, and that agency is able to provide the Department with a clear fingerprint memo for the individual, the Department may accept that memo as an alternate method of completing the fingerprint background check requirements.

 

If an individual who has been fingerprinted for one early childhood services program moves to another early childhood services program, the original fingerprint results may be used if the individual has not been separated from child care employment for more than 180 days. The individual must sign a release of information allowing the authorized agent or the regional office to share the results of the fingerprint memo with the new program.

 

Regional child care licensing offices are responsible for completing:

 

1. North Dakota court searches on directors, supervisors, providers, emergency designees for self-declared providers and household members annually, unless the full fingerprint background check has been completed;

 

2. Sex offender registry checks on directors, supervisors, providers, emergency designees for self-declared providers, household members and staff members annually, unless the full fingerprint background check has been completed; and

 

3. Child Abuse/Neglect Index checks on directors, supervisors, providers, emergency designees for self-declared providers, household members and staff members annually, unless the full fingerprint background check has been completed.

 

The authorized agent will be responsible for ensuring that operators comply with the background check requirements for their staff:

 

1. Operators of child care programs will be responsible for completing the North Dakota court searches on their individual staff members annually, unless the full fingerprint background check has been completed.

 

2. Operators are required to keep documentation of the court searches they do.

 

3. Operators are required to maintain a written policy on how they will determine who can be employed in their program and what offenses will disqualify an individual from employment.

 

4. Operators are required to submit the SFN 508 (Authorization for Background Check) upon hire for new employees and annually for all employees.

 

5. For two year licenses, the SFN 508 (Authorization for Background Check) must be submitted for household members with the submission of the annual requirements.