Preschool and extended day school programs fall under the general heading of Child Daycare Center (CDC). These centers have additional requirements that are separate from diocesan compliance standards. The following article is to assist you in understanding and implementing the various requirements as governed by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Catholic Diocese of Arlington.
Background
Federal and state laws prevent the sharing of background checks between distinct entities. Child Daycare Centers are state facilities, licensed by the state, housed in diocesan locations, and staffed by diocesan employees. This means that each employee and CDC board member is required to meet the background check requirements of both the Diocese of Arlington and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Diocese of Arlington has no authority to waive any state requirements.
Who is included?
CDCs include the following programs:
- Morning Care,
- Afterschool Care, and
- Preschools.
All employees and volunteers working in, with, or associated with these programs are required to fulfill the background check requirements of one or both organizations including:
- Pastors: Must fulfill CDC and Diocesan background check requirements
- Principal: Must fulfill CDC and Diocesan background check requirements
- Preschool Directors: Must fulfill CDC and Diocesan background check requirements
- Preschool Teachers: Must fulfill CDC and Diocesan background check requirements
- Substitute Teachers: Must fulfill CDC and Diocesan background check requirements
- Volunteers: Must fulfill CDC and Diocesan background check requirements
- Minor Employees (Under 18 years of age) - Must fulfill CDC background check requirements
- Minor Volunteers (Under 18 years of age) - Must fulfill CDC background check requirements
State requirements
The Commonwealth of Virginia:
- Requires a fingerprint background check through FieldPrint using the CDCs location code issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia. The determination letter will come from the Virginia Department of Social Services Office of Background Investigations (VDSS OBI).
- Requires a Department of Social Services Central Registry background check with the address field populated with the school’s name and address and the FIPS Code field blank. This is also known as the Child Protective Services (CPS) background check.
- Requires that the Determination Letters from VDSS OBI and CPS be sent directly to the location in order for the letters to qualify for an inspection.
- Allows for an employee to begin working once the fingerprint determination letter is in hand.
When may they begin?
A volunteer or employee may only begin when the following diocesan and state minimum requirements are met:
- Diocese of Arlington:
- Complete the the application
- Shown as "CLEAR" by at least one of the two (volunteer) or three (employee) background checks. Most likely the first background check to "CLEAR" will be NCSI.
- Exception: If the volunteer is a minor or employee the above requirement for the diocese does not apply. The diocese discourages minor employees or volunteers.
- Commonwealth of Virginia - see above.
Practically speaking...
This means that there will be two sets of:
- Fingerprints: Each with its own location code through FieldPrint
- CPS forms: Each with its own location code
- Determination letters: One addressed to the CDC location and the other to the Diocese
- The CDC Determination Letter will be sent directly to the location. Once received, an electronic copy should be forwarded to OPCYP so we may upload it into the OPCYP management portal.
- Do not send the determination letters in batches. Please send them individually.
No determination letters or background check results as stated above are interchangeable, please budget accordingly.
What about waivers?
The Commonwealth of Virginia issues zero waivers. You must be compliant with its requirements before you may walk through the door of the CDC. Failure to do so could mean a negative audit management letter or even the loss of the CDC license.