Do you need to get a background check from the Office of Early Childhood (OEC)? If you do and you lived outside of Connecticut within the last 5 years, you also need to request a background check from the state you lived in. It’s a key step in completing your OEC background check. You can’t work in a program unsupervised until your background check status is either “work supervised” or “current.”
Request a background check from New York State
1. Complete the New York State authorization for information release form
You can either:
- Complete it in Microsoft Word and print it out
- Print it out and fill it in manually (by hand)
Don’t sign the form yet — see the next step below.
2. Bring the form to a notary public
Notary publics are people appointed by the state to act as official witnesses. Search online to find a notary public near you. They’re often available at banks, libraries, post offices, or shipping centers.
When you go to the notary, you need to bring:
- The form
- Legal identification
The notary public will look at your ID and ask a few questions. When they tell you to, you can sign the form. The notary will then stamp or seal the form, making it official.
3. Mail the form to New York State
Check to make sure the form is complete, signed, and notarized. Then mail it to:
New York State
Office of Children and Family Services
Statewide Central Register
P.O. Box 4480
Albany, NY 12204-0480
4. Email OEC to let us know you sent the form
The last step is to let us know you mailed the form to New York State, so we know the process has started. In the email, tell us:
- Your name
- The date you sent the form
What’s next?
New York State will send the results of the background check directly to OEC.
In the meantime, make sure to complete the other steps in the background check process.