Fingerprinting

[girlmomma]

I am licensed exempt in Indiana. I’ve provided childcare for four foster families in the last four years.

I am attempting to enroll another foster family with a private agency. The agency asked me to do a background check with the local PD. I did. When I asked where to send it, the social worker sent me ANOTHER form I had to fill out for their agency. I did that. THEN, the social worker asked me when I’d have time to do my fingerprints. It’s hoop after hoop and no one explained any of this upfront. This is not something I did with any previous foster family.?

I told the social worker I had prints on file from 2020 and I asked if I could use those… since they don’t change. She didn’t respond but I took the liberty of calling my state police department, they wouldn’t give me a copy of them and said I’d need to redo them. How bizarre?!! ?called my local police department and asked if I could do them there, the guy says he closes at 2:30.?

I asked the foster mom where they went. That location doesn’t have a time slot after 5 until September 9.?

DH adopted our oldest DD in 2020. We had to pay for his finger prints:

So my questions are: 1) who pays for these fingerprints? Me, the agency or the foster parents? 2) Will all of my subs (who also have background checks and fingerprints on file from 2020) need to be fingerprinted AGAIN??? 3) is this normal for an agency to require this much from a childcare provider? I feel like they’re going to ask me to do a home study next!

[Alwaysgreener]

Fingerprinting process is so confusing. We were printed in 2010 for foster care. When I applied for day care license in 2014, I thought I wouldn't need one since I was already a licensed foster care parent but I did because they don't save them.

My sister is my back up and was working for the public school at that time and did finger printing for them and a week later had to do one for my day care. Because they don't save them nor are they transferrable.

In 2019 state rules changed and we had to get a new fingerprinting in 2020. It was supposed to be the last one we needed for day care. But then we were informed that in error on their part we had to repeat it in 2023 and promised it would be the last time. Unfortunately some providers had to go in asap before they finished the federal fingerprinting update and we will have to do it again in 2026. I was able to wait until August so hopefully I made the cut off.

The only two I paid for was my foster care and my initial day care one. My sister got both of hers free.
???
You would think that you would own the rights to your finger printing scan but on the other hand, since they don't keep them, it should be harder for a hacker to steal them.

Nice day in your state might be in the same thing they're hooking up to the Federal fingerprinting programming so that they can you all national records by your fingerprint not just State records.


Now I would ask the foster care agency if they are paying.

???? I would also ask but foster care agency about your subs working when the child is there. If they're required to be background checks you could just tell the parent that when the sub is there the foster care child cannot be.

I have only had one set of foster kids in my care since I became licensed as day care
I did not have to do any extra steps to take the foster care into my daycare. I even advertise that I am foster care train.
?????? I did have to drop my foster care license to become a daycare provider.

I would also ask the foster care if you were a licensed daycare would you be jumping through these hoops? And if this is a one and done approval? And if she would write a letter stating your approval?

[e.j.]

I'm not in Indiana so I don't know the rules there but fwiw, I can empathize with you. My state requires we be fingerprinted every time we re-license. All residents of the daycare home above a certain age have to be fingerprinted. In my case, I have to pay for myself and 3 adults to the tune of $140, all out of pocket. We've been told they don't keep the fingerprints on file because of privacy reasons. I'd much rather have the option to allow them to keep the prints on file because it's such a hassle to find a weekend appointment and have my husband and adult kids have to fit the fingerprinting into their own busy schedules.

If I were in your situation, I would let the foster parents know that either they or the agency would have to pay for the fingerprinting. It shouldn't be an expense you should have to cover. It's enough of an inconvenience to have to get the fingerprinting done. If they won't cover it, I would refuse to enroll. I would also base enrollment date on when I could schedule an appointment. If the earliest you can get in is Sept 9, I would let them know I wouldn't be taking the child any sooner than that date.

[girlmomma]

I’m glad I wasn’t being a brat during this whole ordeal… because WOW! LOL

The foster care agency has TWO, just TWO approved providers in the area. Neither one of them had openings. I’m assuming, whether or not I was licensed, I’d have to do this too since I wasn’t on their approved list. I won’t license my home at this time. Maybe once we have a separate area I will.

After the fingerprinting appointment was made and I did my second background check in my state, I had to do a THIRD because I lived in another state at one point in my life … as a child. The foster care agency did pay for the fingerprinting, thankfully!

But… Holy cow!!Don’t get me wrong, I am SO thankful that they’re really looking into who is providing care for the child. I told the foster parents they are with a great agency because I’ve never had to go thru this much with any of my other families.

This family doesn’t have a placement yet. We’re just getting the ball rolling for when they do. I think I’d be able to keep the child since we’re just waiting on my fingerprints now. But who knows!