Key Questions

• Have background checks been conducted on every prospective caregiver, staff person, substitute and volunteer* who comes in contact with your child at the child care program?



• Have background checks been conducted on adult family members who live in the family child care home and come in contact with your child?



• Does the caregiver have a current child care license?


Note: Most states, but not all, require background checks of all caregivers in licensed child care programs, so be sure to ask if checks have been conducted. Some states do not require family home caregivers to be licensed. See the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care State Child Care Licensing Database. Click on your state to find out the latest licensing requirements. If your program is not licensed OR is not required to be licensed in your state, contact your local police department or your State Bureau of Investigation to find out how you can get a background check conducted. There will be a charge for this service.

*Volunteers who assist caregivers with special events (like holiday parties), and who are always working in the presence of a caregiver, may be not be required to have background checks.