Federal law requires anyone working in a child development facility as an employee or volunteer, anyone who cares for or supervises children in a child development facility, or anyone with unsupervised access to children to undergo a criminal background check and child abuse and neglect registry check. These individuals are referred to collectively as “child care staff” below.

Child care staff at child development facilities in DC should follow the process detailed below to complete required criminal background and child abuse and neglect registry checks. All child care staff must complete this process prior to starting employment or volunteering and every three years thereafter.

For questions related to criminal background checks or child abuse and neglect registry checks, email [email protected].

Criminal Background Checks

The criminal background check for child care staff must include a search of the National Crime Information Center's National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR), a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprint check, and checks of state criminal registries and sex offender registries in every state the applicant has lived in over the past five years.

Child care staff should follow the instructions in this guide to complete their criminal background check and state fingerprint check(s).

How to complete a criminal background check and state fingerprint check

All child care staff at child development facilities licensed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) must complete a criminal background check using ApplicationStation and an FBI fingerprint check conducted by the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The FBI fingerprint check conducted by MPD includes state fingerprint checks for DC and Virginia. Child care staff who currently reside in a state other than DC or Virginia or resided in a state(s) other than DC or Virginia within the past five years must also do a fingerprint check for each state(s). 

Results from checks completed through Application Station and MPD are sent directly to OSSE. Results from fingerprint checks conducted for Maryland are also sent directly to OSSE. Child care staff who complete a fingerprint check in a state other than DC, Maryland, or Virginia are responsible for providing their results to their employer, who will upload the results in OSSE’s licensing system for review by OSSE.

• How to complete a criminal background check using ApplicationStation (required for all child care staff): To initiate the criminal background check process, child development facility leaders must submit a request for a criminal background check for each child care staff using OSSE’s Criminal Background Check Request Form. After the employer submits the form, child care staff will receive an email with instructions for completing their criminal background check using ApplicationStation. Child care staff are responsible for completing and submitting the ApplicationStation form. Child care staff should reference Section 1 of this guide for additional information. 
• How to complete an FBI fingerprint check and state fingerprint checks for DC and Virginia (required for all child care staff): Child care staff are responsible for scheduling a fingerprint check conducted by MPD. They will receive a billing code from their employer that they must provide to MPD at their fingerprinting appointment. The FBI fingerprint check conducted by MPD includes state fingerprint checks for DC and Virginia. Child care staff should reference Section 2 of this guide for additional information. 
• How to complete a fingerprint check for Maryland: Child care staff who currently reside in Maryland or have resided in Maryland within the past five years must complete a fingerprint check at a Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) Storefront location or an authorized private provider in Maryland. Child care staff should complete the Livescan Pre-registration Application, including the Authorized Agency Number and Originating Agency Identifier (ORI) Number provided by OSSE and bring it to their appointment. Child care staff should reference Section 3 this guide for additional information.
• How to complete a state fingerprint check for a state other than DC, Maryland, or Virgina: Each state operates its own fingerprint check process. Child care staff should check with the state where they need to complete fingerprinting to learn more about their process and associated fees. Child care staff should reference Section 4 of this guide for additional information.

Child Abuse and Neglect Registry Checks

The child abuse and neglect registry check includes a search of state child abuse and neglect registries. Child care staff working in child development facilities that are licensed by OSSE must complete a child abuse and neglect registry check in DC and each state they have resided with the past five years.

Child care staff should follow the instructions in this guide to complete the required child abuse and neglect registry check(s).

How to complete child abuse and neglect registry checks

Child care staff must complete child abuse and neglect registry checks following the process of the state where they currently reside and any other state in which they have resided within the past five years. Instructions for submitting a child abuse and neglect registry check request are below. All child care staff working in licensed child development facilities in DC must complete a child abuse and neglect registry check in DC, regardless of where they currently live.

Results from child abuse and neglect registry checks in DC are sent directly to OSSE. Child care staff who complete child abuse and neglect registry checks in states other than DC are responsible for providing their child abuse and neglect registry results to their employer, who will upload the results in OSSE’s licensing system for review by OSSE.

• How to submit a child abuse and neglect registry request for DC (required for all child care staff): Child care staff should complete the Child and Family Services Agency’s (CFSA’s) DC Child Protection Register Check Form. The form must be submitted electronically. Child care staff should reference Section 5 of this guide for additional information. For questions, contact [email protected]. 
• How to submit a child abuse and neglect registry request for Maryland: Child care staff who are Maryland residents or have lived in Maryland in the last five years must complete the Maryland Department of Human Service’s Child Protective Services Background/Adam Walsh Background Clearance Request. Child care staff should reference Section 6 of this guide for additional information. For questions, contact [email protected].
• How to submit a child abuse and neglect registry request for Virginia: Child care staff who are Virginia residents or have lived in Virginia in the last five years must complete the Virginia Department of Social Services’ Central Registry Release of Information Form. Child care staff should reference Section 7 of this guide for additional information. For questions, contact [email protected].
• How to submit a child abuse and neglect registry request for a state other than DC, Maryland, or Virginia: Each state operates its own child abuse and neglect registry check process. Child care staff should check with the state where they need to complete a check to learn more about their process and associated fees. Child care staff should reference Section 8 of this guide for additional information.

Suitability Determinations and Appeals

OSSE will provide all employers and child care staff who complete the criminal background check and child abuse and neglect registry check processes a suitability determination based on the results of the checks.

• If the criminal background check and the child abuse and neglect registry show no criminal history: OSSE will notify the applicant and their employer that they have cleared the checks and are suitable to work in a child development facility. The determination is active for three years.
• If the criminal background check shows a criminal history and/or the child abuse and neglect registry check(s) show the staff is listed on the registry: OSSE staff review will review the results and may contact the applicant for additional information to determine whether the applicant may work in a child development facility.
  • If OSSE determines that the applicant may work in a child development facility: OSSE will notify the applicant and their employer.
  • If OSSE determines that the applicant cannot work in a child development facility: OSSE will send the applicant and the employer a Notice of Ineligibility for Employment that includes information on how to request an appeal.
    • To appeal criminal background check results: Child care staff should submit an appeal to the DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) within 30 days after receipt of the Notice of Ineligibility for Employment. Child care staff can submit the appeal form via email to [email protected] or mail to DC Office of Human Rights, Commission on Human Rights, 441 Fourth Street NW, Suite 290N, Washington, DC, 20001.  OHR will make final determination and OSSE will notify the appellant. If an appeal is not submitted, the Notice of Ineligibility for Employment is final.
    • To appeal child abuse and neglect registry results: Child care staff must submit the request to the state where the check was conducted.
      • To appeal results in DC: Child care staff should contact CFSA at (202) 724-3748, (202) 213-9590 or [email protected].
      • To appeal results from states other than DC: Child care staff must follow the appeal process of the jurisdiction from which the result was received (e.g., if an individual is listed on the child abuse and neglect registry in Maryland, they would file an appeal of the result in Maryland).

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