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Connecticut Office of Early Childhood
450 Columbus Boulevard
Hartford, CT 06103
Phone: 860-500-4412

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Changes to the OEC Background Check Process

Last updated March 26, 2024

Based on feedback from youth camp providers, OEC has made 2 important changes to the youth camp specific background check process. These changes are effective immediately for the 2024 camp season.

Expedited process for completing the NSOPW

  • The BCIS administrator of a youth camp will now complete the public-facing National Sex Offender Registry (NSOPW) check when completing a youth camp specific background check for their staff
  • The prospective employee will still need to create a BCIS account so that demographic information as well as proper consents for the background check is documented within BCIS. The child abuse and neglect registry check results will continue to be imported into BCIS after external processing by the Department of Children and Families (DCF)
  • Please note that the new process for checking and certifying NSOPW results is similar to the judicial website check that administrators performed last year

Why we made this change: To simplify and reduce processing time so an individual reaches “current status” (CUR) in BCIS faster.

Simplified process for adding J-1, H-1B or R-1 visa holders to a BCIS roster

  • BCIS administrators of a youth camp no longer need to send a BCIS invitation to J-1, H-1B or R-1 visa holders; instead, administrators will select the new “add visa holder” button in BCIS
  • Following a youth camp roster administrator certifying a J-1, H-1B or R-1 visa, the staff member should appear on a camp roster as “current” (CUR) that same day

Why we made this change: As the BCIS system is only accessible within the United States, prospective employees are unable to create a BCIS account. This caused delays for youth camp administrators trying to add international staff to their BCIS rosters.

We heard your concerns

We understand the unique timeframes and challenges youth camps face in hiring their summer staff. We hope these enhancements will make the BCIS process simpler. For a visual reference, you can see screenshots of what the updated BCIS user interface will look like with these new features.

Thank you for all you do in keeping children safe, and we look forward to a successful camp season this summer.