Sec.19a-87b-8a. Comprehensive Background Check

(a) The applicant, provider, prospective employees of the family child care home in a position requiring the provision of care to a child, including assistants and substitutes, and each household member of the age specified in section 19a-87b of the Connecticut General Statutes shall submit to a comprehensive background check as specified by the Office to comply with the provisions of section 19a-87b of the Connecticut General Statutes that pertain to comprehensive background checks, including but not limited to, state and national criminal history record checks and the state child abuse and neglect registry established under section 17a-101k of the Connecticut General Statutes. The applicant, provider, prospective employees of the family child care home in a position requiring the provision of care to a child, including assistants and substitutes, and each household member of the age specified in section 19a-87b of the Connecticut General Statutes shall not have a criminal record, or record of child abuse or neglect, in this state or any other state that the commissioner reasonably believes renders such applicant, provider, assistant, or substitute unsuitable to own, conduct, operate, maintain, or be employed by a family child care home. The review of a person’s records to determine suitability shall be conducted in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

(b) The provider shall not employ staff who have a record the commissioner reasonably believes renders such staff ineligible to be employed in a family child care home. The review of a person’s record to determine suitability shall be conducted in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

(c) The provider shall maintain at the family child care home evidence of compliance with the provisions of this section.

(d) The provider shall make available to the Office any information obtained concerning comprehensive background checks, upon request of the Office.

(e) The applicant or provider shall provide to the Office information concerning sex offender status, criminal convictions, or child protective services records pertaining to the applicant, provider, staff or household members upon request of the Office. Failure by the applicant or provider to respond to Office correspondence within a time frame designated by the Office in such correspondence shall constitute sufficient grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of the license.

(f) A comprehensive background check shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of 45 CFR 98.43, as amended from time to time, and shall include:

(1) A search of state criminal records in any state of residency for the past five years;

(2) A search of abuse and neglect registry or database in any state of residency for the past five years;

(3) A search of the sex offender registry or repository in any state of residency for the past five years;

(4) A Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint check using Next Generation Identification; and

(5) A search of the National Crime Information Center National Sex Offender Registry.

(Effective March 19, 2021)