Background Checks

[Unregistered]

I have that app too and it does not work well.


My BIL is a registered sex offender as well as a wrap sheet the size of Texas!!

I typed in his name, nothing came up
I searched by zip code nothing
I searched by city nothing.

My BIL is a very very dangerous person and he should have been listed there. Thank god my SIL finally woke up and is divorcing this guy.

I look at it like this. We need to use our best judgement at all times. We can't run a back ground check on every single person we have walk past our front door. I know that criminals come in all shapes and sizes and we can't always read them.

I look at it like this, If you pass my radar and as long as you stay a good person and follow my rules, I don't care what you once did. Life is about where you are going, not where you have been.

[Meeko]

You should be able to have one done at the local police department. Also, your school district office should do livescan services as well.

Personally, I would never ask a parent to have a background check done. They are not caring for my child, I am caring for thiers. But, as has been said before, to each his own

I care about who comes into my home and I do background checks on all my clients and prospective clients. Over the past few years I have been AMAZED at the things I find out!! It makes me shudder to think who has walked through my home before.

If I had done one on the child rapist who enrolled his daughter in my care, I could have saved what was one of the worst times of my life. Instead, I took him on face value.

Never again.

I let parents know they are welcome to do a check on me too. It's a two way street.

[wdmmom]

I care about who comes into my home and I do background checks on all my clients and prospective clients. Over the past few years I have been AMAZED at the things I find out!! It makes me shudder to think who has walked through my home before.

If I had done one on the child rapist who enrolled his daughter in my care, I could have saved what was one of the worst times of my life. Instead, I took him on face value.

Never again.

I let parents know they are welcome to do a check on me too. It's a two way street.

I don't blame ya in the least! I run a courts check on each prospective client before signing them up.

The craziest thing I found was a domestic assault charge against the DCM. It was 10 years ago and he never did the dropping off or picking up so I eventually ended up watching DCB.

[Meeko]

I don't blame ya in the least! I run a courts check on each prospective client before signing them up.

The craziest thing I found was a domestic assault charge against the DCM. It was 10 years ago and he never did the dropping off or picking up so I eventually ended up watching DCB.

I've found drug related charges, theft charges, domestic abuse, DUI's, you name it. The scariest part is that every single one of them surprised me. I wouldn't have suspected for a SECOND if I had gone on face value. Now I know that I can never be too sure of who is in the house.

My son lives in the home we use for day care and so his rooms are not visable from the day care area. But it used to be my home and we had nice things out where they could be seen by anyone who came by for a visit. Time and experience has taught me that Mr. Nice Dad may not just be looking for day care. He may also be noticing the big screen TV and home theater he wants for Christmas.......

[Crystal]

Meeko....I am not trying to start anything here....I have an honest question for you and hope you see it as such.

I am curious how, based on the other thread, you expect parents to have blind trust in you...not allowing observations prior to enrollment, they should trust you enough to not conduct unnanounced drop in, they are not allowed in the main room but can visit their own child in another room due to no "visiting" children, etc. But they are required to submit to background checks on them. Do they know you do background checks? And if not, how do you go about conducting a check without fingerprints, etc.

[Country Kids]

I've started thinking about doing background checks on clients with their permission. I think if they are very hesitant then thats a good indication that somethings up.

You never know what is going on with people and who may be walking in your door. My hubby works with the courts here and wow, it can be pretty weird at times. There has been a few times that he directs me in a store the other way just so one of the "clients" he has seen won't see his family. Imagine if these people just happened to show up at your house needing childcare.

A friend of mine was doing childcare and childrens protective services showed up at her door to remove the child from the parents custody. There were somethings going on to the point the children had to be removed. My friend was unaware of these things.

I know here at the courts you need a name, dob and drivers liscense possibly. Takes like 5 minutes and you are good to go.

[Meeko]

Meeko....I am not trying to start anything here....I have an honest question for you and hope you see it as such.

I am curious how, based on the other thread, you expect parents to have blind trust in you...not allowing observations prior to enrollment, they should trust you enough to not conduct unnanounced drop in, they are not allowed in the main room but can visit their own child in another room due to no "visiting" children, etc. But they are required to submit to background checks on them. Do they know you do background checks? And if not, how do you go about conducting a check without fingerprints, etc.

I don't do fingerprints....but I'm thinking about that too. The world is not the same as it was 27 years ago when I started child care.

I tell every parent that I run their name through the sex offender list and local sheriff's office data base. I let them know I am very picky about who comes in my home. It's a free check, so I technically don't have to tell them anything at all, but I do. I have had parents leave right then as they know negative stuff is on their record. That makes me happy because I don't want them in my house.

I discuss at length with prospective clients. Yes...I DO ask them to trust me.I know it's not always easy for them. I tell them that the very best relationships are built on trust. I tell them to call every single parent currently enrolled (they all OK this by the way) and dozens of past clients if they wish. I tell them to call licensing (who do unannounced visits). I have never been written up on a single thing in 27 years. I have never had one single verified complaint (a few parents who didn't want to pay have tried calling :

By state law, a parent has a right to visit at any time they chose and see their child and where they play. But they do NOT have a right to mingle with other people's children.

I admit that I am paranoid about who has access to the kids and who is in the house. Past experience has done that to me. I don't need to explain that again here. Running a simple check would have saved me soooo much heartache....and more importantly maybe saved little girls from abuse.

But I have parents who have called me back after interview and tell me they are chosing my day care BECAUSE I do not let the other parents around their kids. They too are concerned about who has access. They only have to worry about me and I soon earn their trust.

They know they can leave at any time in the first 4 weeks with no penalties contract-wise. If they aren't comfortable...then leave. It's easy.

In our training classes, we have actually been told that although we must meet state regs...we are sensible to have very strict rules in place. It is not unheard of nowadays for child sex offenders to pose as parents and visit child care facilities. They have learned that women are often working alone and there is a nice supply of little ones to look at.. that straight from the trainer's lips..

If Suzie's mom wants to come and see her, she is more than welcome any time we are open.. She can stick her head around the playroom door if she wants....and have a quick chat with me. But the bottom line is, she doesn't step over the gate. She should be concerned about SUZIE. How I am doing with Jimmy is none of her business. That's Jimmy's mom business.

If Suzie doesn't want to go home at the end of the day, that should signal to her mom that she is happy here. Deliberately showing up to TRY and find something wrong is not the way to a healthy relationship. I keep most of my kids for many years. I have parents admit that they don't even think about their kids during the day because they are COMPLETELY satisfied that their child is fine and being well taken care of. Many parents have said I take better care of them than they do!!!

I just have a different outlook than you do Crystal. That doesn't make me wrong and I don't think your way is bad. I used to think exactly the same way. Parents were free to come by anytime and hang out. I would encourage parents to come and help out at parties and certain activities.

That was before I had a child rapist in my home and before the state sensibly decided that ANYONE who spends regular time around the kids must have a full BCI/FBI background check, fingerprints and a minimum of 20 hours of training per year... just like me. I personally don't know any parents around here who would even WANT to do all that.

Yes...my day care parents trust me 100%. All of them.

I have a waiting list due to my reputation.

Two years ago, licensing head honchos called me from HQ and asked if I would be willing to have state legislators come through my day care. They were revamping all the licensing laws. They had been asked to show them through a day care that they felt was one of the best in the state and was run correctly. It's the biggest honor I have ever been given in my career and yes....on that day I allowed strangers in the house::::::

[Crystal]

Thank you meeko.

I just have a different outlook than you do Crystal. That doesn't make me wrong and I don't think your way is bad. I used to think exactly the same way. Parents were free to come by anytime and hang out. I would encourage parents to come and help out at parties and certain activities.

I don't think you are wrong for doing things the way you do. Clearly your past experience is going to influence your business decisions and I don't blame you at all.

Again, thank you for a clear, well thought out reply....I really was curious about how you do this, and now I know