2021 Code of Virginia
Title 22.1 - Education
Chapter 14.1 - Early Childhood Care and Education
§ 22.1-289.036. Background check upon application for licensure, registration, or approval as child day center, family day home, or family day system; penalty

A. Every (i) applicant for licensure as a child day center, family day home, or family day system, registration as a family day home, or approval as a family day home by a family day system; (ii) agent of an applicant for licensure as a child day center, family day home, or family day system, registration as a family day home, or approval as a family day home by a family day system at the time of application who is or will be involved in the day-to-day operations of the child day center, family day home, or family day system or who is or will be alone with, in control of, or supervising one or more of the children; and (iii) adult living in such child day center or family day home shall undergo a background check in accordance with subsection B prior to issuance of a license as a child day center, family day home, or family day system, registration as a family day home, or approval as a family day home by a family day system and every five years thereafter.

B. Every person required to undergo a background check pursuant to subsection A shall:

1. Provide a sworn statement or affirmation disclosing whether he has ever been convicted of or is the subject of any pending criminal charges for any offense within or outside the Commonwealth and whether or not he has been the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse or neglect within or outside the Commonwealth;

2. Submit to fingerprinting and provide personal descriptive information described in subdivision B 2 of § 19.2-392.02;

3. Authorize the child day center, family day home, or family day system specified in subsection A to obtain a copy of the results of a search of the central registry maintained pursuant to § 63.2-1515 for any founded complaint of child abuse or neglect against him; and

4. Authorize the child day center, family day home, or family day system described in subsection A to obtain a copy of the results of a criminal history record information check, a sex offender registry check, and a search of the child abuse and neglect registry or equivalent registry from any state in which the individual has resided in the preceding five years.

Fingerprints and personal descriptive information obtained pursuant to subdivision 2 shall be forwarded by the Department or its designee or, in the case of a child day program operated by a local government, may be forwarded by the local law-enforcement agency through the Central Criminal Records Exchange to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of obtaining national criminal history record information regarding the individual. Upon receipt of an individual's record or notification that no record exists, the Central Criminal Records Exchange shall forward the information to the Department or its designee. The Department or its designee shall report to the child day center, family day home, or family day system described in subsection A as to whether the individual is eligible to have responsibility for the safety and well-being of children. In cases in which the record forwarded to the Department or its designee is lacking disposition data, the Department or its designee shall conduct research in whatever state and local recordkeeping systems are available in order to obtain complete data.

C. If any person specified in subsection A required to have a background check (i) has been convicted of any barrier crime as defined in § 19.2-392.02 or (ii) is the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse or neglect within or outside the Commonwealth, and such person has not been granted a waiver by the Superintendent pursuant to § 22.1-289.038, no license as a child day center, family day home, or family day system or registration as a family day home shall be granted by the Superintendent and no approval as a family day home shall be granted by the family day system.

D. Information from a search of the central registry maintained pursuant to § 63.2-1515 and any child abuse and neglect registry or equivalent registry maintained by any other state in which the applicant, agent, or adult has resided in the preceding five years, authorized in accordance with subdivision B 3, shall be obtained prior to issuance of a license as a child day center, family day home, or family day system, registration as a family day home, or approval as a family day home by a family day system.

E. No person specified in subsection A shall be involved in the day-to-day operations of the child day center, family day home, or family day system, or shall be alone with, in control of, or supervising one or more children, without first having completed any required background check pursuant to subsection B.

F. Any person making a materially false statement regarding the sworn statement or affirmation provided pursuant to subdivision B 1 is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

G. If an individual is denied licensure, registration, or approval because of information from the central registry or any child abuse and neglect registry or equivalent registry maintained by any other state, or convictions appearing on his criminal history record, the Superintendent shall provide a copy of the information obtained from the central registry, any child abuse and neglect registry or equivalent registry maintained by any other state, or the Central Criminal Records Exchange to the individual.

H. Further dissemination of the background check information is prohibited other than to the Superintendent's representative or a federal or state authority or court as may be required to comply with an express requirement of law for such further dissemination.

I. Fees charged for the processing and administration of background checks pursuant to this section shall not exceed the actual cost to the state or the local law-enforcement agency of such processing and administration.

J. For the purposes of this section, "agent" means a person who is authorized to act on behalf of the applicant or licensee.

2020, cc. 860, 861, 936.