With school starting, issues of child safety come to the fore. In previous blogs, we’ve talked about the importance of employee background checks in schools, but what about non-school, after-school or Saturday programs like gymnastics or dance classes, Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy and Girl Scouts, and child care programs? Parents should be able to feel that their children are safe in the hours between when school lets out and they come home from work.

Unfortunately, staff at these institutions are quite often not screened closely enough before being put in charge of a child’s care. As a result, child abuse and neglect are likely to occur. Federal law defines child abuse and neglect as “Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.” (Source: Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) Reauthorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-320), § 3.)

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, child abuse and neglect generally fall into one of these four categories: neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, or sexual abuse.

Some Scary Statistics

Darkness to Light, a child sexual abuse advocacy group, provides some scary statistics with regard to sexual abuse in daycare/child care in the U.S.:

FACT: 90% of children who are sexually abused are abused by someone they know. 60% of children who are sexually abused are abused by people the family trusts. 30% of children who are sexually abused are abused by family members.

FACT: 40% of children who are sexually abused are abused by older or more powerful children.

FACT: Most children under the age of five receive child care from someone other than a parent. Almost one-quarter (23.4 percent) of children five and under are in some form of organized child care including daycare centers, nurseries, and preschools.

FACT: More than 4.1 million reports from CPS agencies were received in 2017 alone. These reports involved more than 7.5 million children. Reports included neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and medical neglect.

FACT: In 2017, 2,237 daycare providers were found to be abusing and neglecting children in their care.

FACT: Of perpetrators who were child daycare provides, more than 20% committed sexual abuse.

Who Commits Child Abuse or Neglect?

Some high-risk factors associated with people who may commit child abuse or neglect are the following:

• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Difficulties controlling emotions, words, or behaviors
• Harsh approach to discipline
• Mental health issues
• Little knowledge of child development
• History of maltreatment as a child

IN ADDITION, past criminal behavior and/or negative feedback from past employers are also key in identifying a high-risk individual.

Helpful Recommendations

When screening potential employees and volunteers, Darkness to Light recommends:

• Background checks, personal and professional references, an in-depth application, and an extensive interview
• A child protection policy.
• Minimizing opportunity by limiting isolated one-on-one situations
• Training and continued learning for employees and volunteers on child sexual abuse prevention and child abuse reporting.

What Should a Comprehensive Employee
Background Check Include?

A comprehensive employee background check should include:

• Misdemeanor and felony criminal records searches at the county, state and national levels
• Jurisdictional (state, tribes, territories, the District of Columbia) and national public sex offender registry websites
• State child abuse and neglect central registries
• Written applications and interviews
• Personal/professional reference checks
• Social Security number traces and validations
• Employment and/or education verifications
• Professional license verifications
• Checks on references, credit reports, civil records, driver’s license and motor vehicle records
• A driver’s record check (for employment that would include driving/transporting children)
• Military records verifications
• Workers’ compensation history searches
• Healthcare sanction checks
• Address history checks

Why Choose The Hire Authority for
Employee Background Screening?

It takes an experienced professional to do a thorough employee background check. The process is complex and there are many state and federal laws with which employers must comply. You must keep abreast of all the laws governing employee background checks so that you do not risk breaking them and paying the consequences, in the form of fines or lawsuits.

The Hire Authority can do all of this for you. We are experienced, professional, and thorough in our screening, which guarantees that you will receive information that is current and relevant. We care about your security and we will work with you to keep you safe from harm or unnecessary problems.

We’d be happy to talk to you about screening your employees. Call us at
(508) 230-5901 or visit our website www.hireauth.com with any questions you may have.

 The foregoing should not be construed as legal advice. Employers should always consult their own legal counsel for advice on labor and employment matters.