Background Checks

The Office of Early Childhood (OEC) requires background checks for licensed child care program staff (and some others). We do it to help make sure that children stay safe in Connecticut’s child care programs.

Background checks have 2 parts. You need to:

  1. Submit information using the online Background Checks Information System (BCIS)
  2. Get your fingerprints taken in person

Get started

Who needs to get a background check?

People who need a background check at least every 5 years include:

  • Child care staff members, including employees and volunteers age 16 and older who care for children or have unsupervised access to children
  • Family child care home providers, assistants, and substitutes
  • Everyone age 18 or older who lives in a licensed family child care home
  • Certain employees of youth camps

Child care programs are responsible for submitting background checks if they are:

  • Licensed child care facilities and group child care homes
  • Licensed family child care homes
  • License-exempt child care facilities (like those run by schools or towns) that receive funding from Care 4 Kids
Youth camps have special requirements

All prospective employees,18 years of age and older must submit one of the following options:
Option 1
• A criminal history records check based on fingerprints or an internet search of the judicial department website based on name and date of birth, and
• A check of the CT child abuse registry, and
• A check of the national sex offender registry
Option 2
• Verification of a current J-1 visa, H-1B visa or R-1 visa issued by the US Department of State

Read the Public Act that requires comprehensive background checks for youth camps
Read the summary of the Public Act

What happens during a background check?

Your information gets checked in a number of registries to look for:

  • Criminal convictions for specific disqualifying crimes (learn more about disqualifying crimes)
  • Any listing in the Child Abuse or Neglect Registry
  • Any listing on state or national sex offender registries

The background check process will review your history in Connecticut and every state or territory where you’ve lived during the past 5 years.

You need to complete a background check before you can work in a child care program or youth camp

If you’ve never had a background check before, you need to:

  1. Start the process to get licensed (if you haven’t already)
  2. Get a background check

Once you’ve completed both steps and are approved, you can start working.

Last updated May 31, 2023