Making Your Nursery More Effective: STEP 9

The Importance of Background Checks

The purpose for completing background checks is to ensure that parents and the Church can be 100% sure that the children are safe in the care of the nursery and with the people who run it! The background checks are very thorough, and will not miss anything, so if you have any criminal records they will be noticed.  If any child related convictions show up on the report, you know that you cannot hire that person to work in the nursery with children.

Childcare background checks are important for those “hiring” individuals to work specifically with children. “But, the recent rise in child-related crimes in the past decade has made this type of check even more significant, not only to people hiring childcare workers, but for anyone that will be providing care for a child in any way. This includes volunteers working with children in a public daycare center, church daycare center, home daycare center, and even for babysitters in some cases. Parents have become much more protective over their children, and with good cause.”  Churches are incorporating new policies and procedures as safeguards for the people who attend and also as liability issues.

The function of childcare background checks is obvious. Parents and the Church need to know that the person teaching and taking care of their child is free from a criminal record, and especially child molestation charges. It is just another step that provides peace of mind for parents and the Church. While the check is not the only bit of information that deems a person suitable to work with children in the nursery, it is a necessary piece to the puzzle.

Another function of a background check is to protect the person being checked. For example, if a person is falsely accused of a crime, and she cannot convince others of this fact, a check can clear her name. She then has proof that she is suitable to work with children, as far as this background check goes. Of course, other measures have to be taken before she can work with children.

As you can see, childcare background checks have become quite important in our Church service! They help protect everyone all the way around.

Next month we will discuss the interview process as I believe the subject needs to be discussed thoroughly. 

Blessings,

Kristie I. Emerson