Child care background checks

Owning a child care facility means you have many responsibilities, including managing staff and adhering to background check requirements. Child care regulations require both a state and federal background check for caregivers before hire and again once every five years.

A background check for child care employees ensures each person doesn’t have a conviction history that could put a child’s health and safety at risk.

Background check requirements for child care staff and volunteers

The federal government requires a comprehensive background check for any adult that might work with children unsupervised. This can include:

• All child care center staff members (directors, teachers, caregivers, bus drivers, kitchen staff, administrative staff, etc.).
• Every adult volunteer at the child care center that might be left unsupervised with the children.
• Adults that may come in for different programs, fundraisers, recitals, and other events and will have unsupervised access to children.

What is included in a background check for child care providers?

Child care background check requirements include several components, including:

• An FBI fingerprint check
• A search on the National Crime Information Center’s National Sex Offender Registry
• A search of the following registries, repositories, and databases in the state where the child care provider currently lives and any previous residencies within the past five years:
  • Child abuse and neglect registry and database
  • Sex offender registry or repository
  • Criminal registry or repository

To help ensure all the information is correct, the fingerprint and background checks are compared to the FBI database.

How much does a child care background check cost?

The cost of a background check typically varies by state, and is also influenced by which components are included. Each component may have a cost associated with it.

Below is an example of Wisconsin-based pricing for a child care background check. 

• FBI fingerprint-based check: $30.00
• Field print collection: $7.75
• Annual name-based Wisconsin DOJ check: $10.00

If the individual schedules a fingerprint appointment at a Field print location, additional fees may be charged. Learn more about Wisconsin background checks.

How long does a background check for child care take?

In most cases, the final eligibility determination is provided within 45 days. Sometimes this can take longer if additional out-of-state records are needed. Both the child care facility and the individual will receive the eligibility determination.

Find more specific information about child care background check requirements on ChildCare.gov.