It is important to understand the background screening process before hiring a caregiver, even for small businesses as per Bahaa Abdul Hadi.

The need for running background screening before hiring someone is still an underrated activity. Many small businesses downplay the need for doing the same as it involves additional expenses and formalities. However, this can severely backfire as unscrupulous people may be able to access crucial company data.

As caregiving jobs are highly personal, children or elderly people can be more vulnerable to employees with potentially malicious intent. This can put disabled and mentally ill patients at additional risk. These days it is mandatory for all caregivers providing early care to undergo a rigorous background screening before employment and continue the same after every five years.

The FBI uses the Next Generation Identification (NGI) method of fingerprinting to check daycare workers. It is a legal prerequisite for employees who work in a childcare center. This limits the chances of a convict to affect childcare centers, offering a higher level of safety.

Criteria for undergoing a DSS background screening

We have specific background screening rules for family homes and child-care centers. In the case of family homes, each person over 18 must take part in the process including:

  • Property occupants not linked with the childcare directly.
  • Are absent from the location during business hours.
  • Any adult living in the same area as the child-care center.

Working process of a background screening

To begin the screening process, the person must sign an official document and submit his fingerprint data. After processing the fingerprint data, the digital scan is sent to the DoJ.

The file is then cross-referenced with other databases – the Justice Department, the FBI, and the CACI. If the fingerprint does not match, the person can work as a caregiver.

On the other hand, if there is a matching fingerprint in any of the three data sources, the subject will be notified whether he qualifies for an exemption. The exemption status will depend on the nature of the violation. Serious violations can permanently remove a person from working as a caregiver.

Conclusion

Even though the DoJ caregiver background screening process is mandatory for caregivers, it is yet to receive widespread adoption in the United States. Remote and lesser-known locations that are far from the metropolitan regions often fail to meet these regulatory checks.

As of right now, is difficult to impose licensing the child care centers in remote villages due to fingerprinting rules. Over 100 such communities throughout the United States are having issues with this. Hopefully, with the adoption of easier and more sensitive biometric solutions, such hurdles will be overcome soon.

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