What is a Child Care Background Check?
The North Carolina Child Care Law (General Statute 110-90.2) requires a criminal background check (CBC) be conducted and a determination of fitness be made on all persons who work or provide child care in a licensed or regulated child care facility.
All individuals who reside in a family child care home and are age 16 and older must also complete a criminal background check, regardless of whether they are caring for children or not.
Each prospective child care operator and provider (which includes any household member, age 16 and older), must complete the criminal background check (CBC) and receive a valid CBC Qualification letter prior to:
- Being hired by a child care facility
- Receiving a license to own or operate a child care facility
- Becoming a household member of a family child care home (FCCH) or center located in a residence
- Moving into a FCCH or center located in a residence
- Working as a substitute in a child care facility
- Working as an uncompensated provider who will be counted in staff/child ratio or left alone with children in a child care facility.
A Criminal Background Check includes checking each of the following:
- Federal and North Carolina State Fingerprint Databases
- National and North Carolina Sex Offender Registries
- NC Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) database for state name check
- Responsible Individuals List (RIL) - The RIL is a list of those individuals that have been substantiated against for child abuse or serious neglect through NC's local departments of social services.
- Child Maltreatment Registry (CMR) - The CMR is a list of individuals who have maltreated a child in child care since the January 2016 Session Law 2015-123 took effect.
- State Criminal history database for name check, sex offender registry, and child abuse/neglect registries from any other state of residency within the last five (5) years, if applicable.
The Division regularly evaluates criminal offenses that have an impact on the care and nurturing of children. This policy is posted on our website for your review.